Final answer:
Shooting stars, or meteors, enter Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, causing flashes of light that fade out quickly. They move rapidly across the sky and are visible as bright streaks of light.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shooting stars, or meteors, enter Earth's atmosphere from interplanetary space and move at speeds of many kilometers per second. Friction with the air causes them to vaporize at altitudes between 80 and 130 kilometers, resulting in flashes of light that fade out within a few seconds. The speed at which shooting stars arrive in Earth's atmosphere can vary, but they typically move very rapidly across the sky, appearing as bright streaks of light.