How does Earth's atmosphere protect us from meteors?

By burning them up. Meteors hit the Earth's atmosphere at 50,000 mph. At that speed, it's like hitting a lead wall. You need to be a pretty big meteor to get through that so the vast majority of meteors never reach the ground. read more

An atmosphere is a layer of gasses that surrounds some planets. This layer of gasses is held in place by gravity. read more

The atmosphere is a combination of gases that surround the Earth. It is composed of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and one percent other gases (water vapor and carbon dioxide). The earth’s atmosphere is essential to the protection and survival of the planet and its living organisms. read more