Final Answer:
When a shooting star streaks across the night sky, you are observing a meteor burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere. Thus the correct option is (a).
Step-by-step explanation:
A shooting star is not a star at all but rather a meteoroid, a small celestial body, that enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to the friction caused by its high-speed motion. As the meteoroid travels through the Earth's atmosphere, it undergoes rapid heating, causing it to produce a streak of light that we perceive as a shooting star. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as a meteor or a meteorite, depending on whether the celestial body completely burns up or reaches the Earth's surface.Thus the correct option is (a).
The light emitted during this process is not the result of a distant star exploding but rather the intense heat generated by the friction between the meteoroid and the Earth's atmosphere. The term shooting star is a misnomer, as it has no association with actual stars. Instead, it's a captivating display of the interaction between celestial debris and our planet's atmosphere, creating a momentary streak of light that is often a delight to observe during a clear night.
So, the next time you see a shooting star, remember that it's a tiny piece of space debris making a fiery entrance into our atmosphere, not a stellar explosion in the distant cosmos.