Eli5: why do all objects entering the earths atmosphere from space catch fire?

Question

Jus wondering like why asteroids and those detachable things from spaceships catch fire when entering earth

In: 5

Answer 1

So, space is more or less empty. No air to slow things down. Gravity, meanwhile, stretches very far away and objects pick up a lot of speed falling through all of that nothingness.

By the time they hit Earth’s atmosphere, they are moving so doggone fast that they *SLAM* into our atmosphere. They hit the air so hard that it gets super hot *just from how violently it was squished*. This superheated air scoops up some of the material from the object and creates a plume of “fire” around it.