Meteors emit light because of the gases and friction in the earth's atmosphere. Just like you light a match, the gases in the atmosphere ignite, henceforth igniting the meteor.

Are meteoroids luminous?

Meteor and meteoroid, respectively, a glowing streak in the sky (meteor) and its cause, which is a relatively small stony or metallic natural object from space (meteoroid) that enters Earth's atmosphere and heats to incandescence. ... The result is the luminous phenomenon recognized as a meteor.

Do meteorites light up when they hit the atmosphere?

When the meteor hits the atmosphere, the air in front of it compresses incredibly quickly. When a gas is compressed, its temperature rises. This causes the meteor to heat up so much that it glows.