Final answer:
Meteors appear as bright streaks in the sky due to the vaporization of cosmic dust particles as they enter Earth's atmosphere at high speeds and burn up, producing a flash of light. Meteor showers provide a high concentration of such events and are best viewed in darkened skies free from light pollution and after midnight.
Step-by-step explanation:
We see meteors as bright streaks because when tiny solid particles from interplanetary space enter Earth's atmosphere, they move at high speeds of several kilometers per second. This rapid movement generates friction with the air, which vaporizes the particles at altitudes between 80 and 130 kilometers. The intense heat causes the particles to glow, producing the streaks of light that we can observe from the ground. The light from these meteors, often described as 'shooting stars', is visible for a brief period, fading within seconds.
Although sporadic meteors can occur at any time, meteor showers happen when Earth crosses the dust stream left behind by comets. During meteor showers, meteors appear to diverge from a point in the sky called the 'radiant', and these showers can last several hours, often recurring each year. To maximize viewing these celestial events, it is recommended to observe under dark, moonless skies, away from the interference of artificial lights, and after midnight when Earth faces forward in its orbit around the Sun.