BBC World Service - CrowdScience, Will I get hit by a meteor? Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help Close menu BBC World Service CrowdScience * Home * Episodes * Clips * Podcast * Contact CrowdScience * Join us on Facebook Main content Listen now Will I get hit by a meteor? CrowdScience How dangerous are meteors? Should we be worried? Show more Stare up at the night sky, and if you’re lucky, you might see a shooting star. Some people might make a wish, but CrowdScience listener Scott in California in the USA, thinks differently. He’s wondering how dangerous they might be. Shooting stars are actually meteors, ending their incredible journey whizzing through the depths of space by burning through our atmosphere, and crashing down to earth. And Scott’s not wrong to worry about them! In May 2026, an enormous meteor exploded off the coast of Massachusetts, causing a loud sonic boom before crashing into the ocean, releasing the equivalent energy of 300 tons of TNT! So, should we be worried? Marnie Chesterton is on the case. In Australia, Hadrien Devillepoix is the chief scientist for the Desert Fireball Network, which tracks meteors through the sky, and tries to recover any meteorites which make it to earth. He explains just how many of these smaller space rocks arrive on our planet every day, how many of them survive long enough to make it to the surface, and tries to figure out how much should we be worried about it happening to us. Over in the USA, NASA are less worried about the meteors, and more concerned about their big brothers – asteroids. These are the ones which could take out your whole neighbourhood. Or your whole city. Or even the whole planet. Kelly Fast, with NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office explains what the chances are one might be headed our way, and what we could do about it if they are. Push them away, pull them off course, or blow them up, are the options on the table. But space rocks, small OR large, aren’t the only things which could be tumbling down on our heads from outside our atmosphere. In fact, you might be more likely to be hit but something of our own – a man-made piece of space junk, falling out of orbit and whizzing towards the surface. Stephen Wokes, chief engineer at Astroscale, explains their mission: to use their innovative satellite to clean up Low Earth Orbit, and reduce the risk to us here on the ground. PRESENTER: Marnie Chesterton PRODUCER: Emily Knight PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Stuart Laws EDITOR: Ben Motley (photo: Meteor Impact On Earth - Fired Asteroid In Collision With Planet - Contain 3d Rendering - elements of this image furnished by NASA - stock photo- Credit: RomoloTavani via Getty Images) Show less Download Choose your file * Higher quality (128kbps) * Lower quality (64kbps) Available now 37 minutes Last on Mon 3 Aug 2026 12:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa only More episodes Previous Is anything truly random? Next Why is TB still killing people? See all episodes from CrowdScience Featured * . Broadcasts * Fri 31 Jul 2026 19:32 GMT BBC World Service * Mon 3 Aug 2026 01:32 GMT BBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean * Mon 3 Aug 2026 04:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only * Mon 3 Aug 2026 08:32 GMT BBC World Service * Mon 3 Aug 2026 12:32 GMT BBC World Service Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa only Show more / Show less Podcast * CrowdScience Answering your questions about life, Earth and the universe Related Content Similar programmes By genre: * Factual > Science & Nature > Science & Technology By format: * Discussion & Talk * Online schedule * Help & FAQs * Contact us * News in more than 40 languages * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Make an editorial complaint * Careers * BBC emails for you * Advertise with us Copyright (c) 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.