Meteors do not have tails. The streaks of light that appear behind meteors are not tails but rather the product of the meteor's rapid entry into the Earth's atmosphere. As the meteor moves through the atmosphere, it compresses the air in front of it. This hot, compressed air glows brightly and forms what is known as a meteor trail. The color of the meteor trail depends on the composition of the meteor and its temperature.

Although meteors do not have tails like comets, there are some similarities between the two. Both meteors and comets are made of ice and rock. Comets also form meteor trails as they enter the Earth's atmosphere.