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
'der Komet' and 'der Meteor' can both be visible in the sky, but they are not the same thing. A comet is a celestial body that orbits the sun and can have a tail. A meteor is the brief light phenomenon that occurs when a small object enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up. Colloquially, this is often called a 'Sternschnuppe' (shooting star). The confusion arises because both can shine. 'Komet' fits an object in space; 'Meteor' fits a short streak of light in the atmosphere.
Beim Camping haben wir in der Nacht einen hellen Meteor gesehen.
While camping, we saw a bright meteor at night.
Herr Weber liest im Zug einen Artikel über einen Kometen.
Mr. Weber reads an article about a comet on the train.