Meteorites
Definition
Meteorites are pieces of rock or metal from space that have survived their journey through Earth's atmosphere and landed on our planet's surface.
Analogy
Imagine if baseballs were constantly being thrown at Earth from outer space. Most would burn up when they hit our atmosphere (these are meteors), but some make it all the way down without completely burning up - these are meteorites!
Related terms
Meteoroid: A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the sun. It becomes a meteorite if it survives its passage through Earth’s atmosphere and lands on Earth’s surface.
Meteor Shower: An event where many meteors enter Earth's atmosphere in a short period, often resulting from Earth passing through debris left by a comet.
Asteroid Belt: The region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids in our solar system are found.
"Meteorites" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.