Linda Brune age 14, of Pinckneyville

 What happens to fallen stars?

A so‑called falling star is a meteor, usually no bigger than a grain of sand. Its streak of fire is so bright because it burns up on its way through the earth's atmosphere, As a rule, it burns to ashes far above our heads, maybe 30 miles above the earth. The ashes, however, continue to fall, sifting like fine dust through the air until they reach the earth.

Many millions of these little space travelers collide with the earth every day. Each one adds a small speck of ash to the earth. During a year, many tons of the ashy remains of fallen stars are added to the weight of the world.