meteor
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meteor
The light phenomenon that occurs when a small object from space (a meteoroid) enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up. Colloquially, this is often called a shooting star.
In der klaren Nacht konnten wir mehrere helle Meteore am Himmel sehen.
On the clear night, we could see several bright meteors in the sky.
'Meteor' (meteor) belongs to a family of astronomical terms. A 'Meteoroid' (meteoroid) is the object in space, the 'Meteor' (meteor) is the light phenomenon in the atmosphere, and a 'Meteorit' (meteorite) is the remnant that reaches the Earth. The word therefore places the phenomenon clearly in a scientific context.
Astronomen beobachten die Flugbahn von großen Meteoren sehr genau.
Astronomers observe the flight path of large meteors very closely.
A meteor is often described with verbs that focus on its appearance and disappearance. Typical phrases are 'ein Meteor verglüht' (a meteor burns up), 'ein Meteor leuchtet auf' (a meteor lights up), or 'einen Meteor am Himmel sehen' (to see a meteor in the sky).
Plötzlich leuchtete ein heller Meteor am Nachthimmel auf.
Suddenly, a bright meteor lit up in the night sky.
The word 'Meteor' (meteor) is a neutral, scientific term. It is used to describe the celestial phenomenon objectively and has no romantic or magical connotation.
Der Einschlag eines großen Meteors kann einen Krater verursachen.
The impact of a large meteor can cause a crater.
comet
A Komet is an independent celestial body that orbits the sun and can develop a tail. A Meteor, by contrast, is the glow produced when a small object burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. When you mean the body, use “Komet”; for the brief light in the sky, use “Meteor”.
Ein Meteor leuchtete kurz auf, als ein kleines Objekt in die Erdatmosphäre eintrat.
A meteor briefly lit up the sky when a small object entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Der Komet zieht auf seiner Bahn um die Sonne und zeigt dabei einen hellen Schweif.
The comet follows its orbit around the sun and has a bright tail.
