* Asteroids: These are much larger celestial bodies, often miles in diameter. They don't typically burn up in the atmosphere; they can cause significant damage if they hit Earth.

* Microcomets: These are small, icy bodies that are thought to contribute to some meteor showers, but they're not the primary cause of the bright burning streaks we see.

* Mesocoronas: This refers to a phenomenon where light is scattered around the sun or moon, not to small particles.

* Meteoroids: These are small pieces of rock or dust from space. When they enter Earth's atmosphere, they heat up due to friction and burn up, creating the bright streaks of light we call meteors or shooting stars.

Therefore, meteoroids are the small extraterrestrial particles that glow brightly and burn up as they travel through Earth's atmosphere.