When skeptics see what some call a falling star..do they say "Look! A falling star!" or "Look! A meteorite!"?

Question

I knew someone who said this...I said "Oh Look ! A falling star!" and he said "No..it's a meteorite." Bummer! lol

Answer 1

Thumbs down for "sobriety", the person, not the state of mind.  He is new, there are many questions that are much, much dumber.  Even if you disagree, you don't have to be a jerk.  Isn't there some saying about "there are no dumb questions, only dumb...." I can't think of how it ends.

Answer 2

I might say "shooting star" or "meteor", which are synonyms. A meteor becomes a meteorite only when it impacts the ground.

Answer 3

who cares what skeptics think! they just want our minds closed to new ideas and knowledge! while star gazing, i'm looking for flying stars, also known as u.f.o.'s !   wow, what a surprise if one night i actually see nothing. it's rare, so look up and look out!

Answer 4

I might call it a meteor or a falling star, either one. "Falling star" isn't technically correct but it's part of our vernacular. I also say "sunrise" and "sunset", even though I really know it's the earth that's rotating. Anyway, why would being a skeptic make a difference?  I'm sure a paranormal believer doesn't actually believe a meteor is literally a star that is falling.

Answer 5

But just because a skeptic wishes on a star it doesn't mean that he thinks that doing so will increase the probability of the wished for thing happening.

Answer 6

I call them shooting stars.Sometimes I even make a wish.Except for something like the perseids.I call that a meteor shower.Falling or shooting star shower sounds silly.

http://www.meteorshowersonline.com/p***e...

Answer 7

I say both, actually, and as an astronomer who looks up a lot, I see quite a few.  But everyone knows that it's not actually a falling star, that would be catastrophe.  It's just a colloquialism - like saying 'bless you' when someone sneezes, even though you know very well they're in no danger of loosing anything if you don't.

Answer 8

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  The names put on things are irrelevant, and don't change their true nature.  I usually call them "shooting stars", but when there are many of them, it is a meteor shower, not a "shooting star shower".  That sounds weird.  There is a flow and rhythm to language that sometimes creates inaccuracies, but is much more pleasant to hear.