  In studies of the oldest solar system bodies - comets and asteroids - it is
their fragments - meteoroids - that provide the most accessible planetary
material for detailed laboratory analysis in the form of dust particles or
meteorites. Some asteroids and comets were visited by spacecrafts and returned
interplanetary samples to Earth, while missions Hayabusa 2 and OSIRIX-REx
visiting asteroids Ryugu and Bennu are ongoing. However, the lack of
representative samples of comets and asteroids opens the space to gain more
knowledge from direct observations of meteoroids. At collision with the Earth's
atmosphere, meteoroids produce light phenomena known as meteors. Different
methods can be used to observe meteors, allowing us to study small
interplanetary fragments, which would otherwise remain undetected. Numerous
impressive meteor showers, storms and meteorite impacts have occurred
throughout the recorded history and can now be predicted and analyzed in much
more detail. By understanding the dynamics, composition and physical properties
of meteoroids, we are able to study the formation history and dynamical
evolution of the solar system. This work presents an introduction to meteor
astronomy, its fundamental processes and examples of current research topics.
