Stars do not become shooting stars. Shooting stars are the result of small bits of debris from space, usually bits of rock and dust, burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. These bits of debris are called meteoroids, and when they enter the atmosphere, they are heated by friction with the air and glow. This is what we see as a shooting star. Most shooting stars are very small, and most of them burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground. However, some larger ones, called bolides, do make it to the ground and are known as meteorites.