In the Quran, there is a reference to what happens when meteorites enter the atmosphere, and how they appear to burn up. Skeptics may claim that the air cannot affect meteorites, but modern science confirms that meteorites burn upon entering Earth's atmosphere due to intense friction with the air. When meteorites travel through space, they move at extremely high speeds. Upon entering Earth's atmosphere, the air compresses in front of them, causing a rapid increase in temperature. This heat causes the meteorite to glow and burn up. In many cases, only small fragments survive the journey to Earth. This is a phenomenon well understood today.
Scientific Explanation- Meteors burn up due to the friction with air molecules as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. - This process creates intense heat that causes the meteorite to disintegrate, often leading to a glowing trail visible as a "shooting star."
This understanding of meteorites burning up upon atmospheric entry was not known in ancient times, but the Quran hints at it in Quran 52:44:
If they were to see a ˹deadly˺ piece of the sky fall down ˹upon them˺, still they would say, “˹This is just˺ a pile of clouds.”52:44
The reference to "lumps of the sky" falling down could be interpreted as meteorites burning up as they enter the atmosphere, resembling the appearance of clouds due to their ash.
