The origin of the word meteor, though, might get a rise out of these nitpickers. Some people object to this phrase, because, by definition, meteors fall, not rise. A particularly bright meteor can be called a bolide or a fireball, especially if it explodes.īecause meteors streak so brightly across the sky, the adjective meteoric is sometimes used metaphorically to describe something sudden, brilliant, and swift, especially in the phrase meteoric rise. What’s visible from Earth is a bright, fiery streak in the sky, and we also use the word meteor to refer to that streak (as opposed to the body itself). The friction from the atmosphere makes it heat up and glow, sometimes making it visible as it streaks through the sky. What is a meteor?Ī meteor is a “a meteoroid that has entered Earth’s atmosphere.” Basically, it’s a small body of rock or metal that used to travel around in space, but that got sucked into Earth’s gravity. We’ve started with the word meteoroid because meteoroids can become meteors or meteorites. In the context of these terms, the word meteor might sound like the most general, but that’s not actually the case. A meteoroid is significantly smaller than an asteroid, ranging from small grains or particles to the size of large boulders.” In other words, a meteoroid is a “space rock” smaller than an asteroid. Comet: An object made mostly of ice and dust, often with a gas halo and tail, that sometimes orbits the sun.Ī meteoroid is “a small, rocky or metallic body revolving in interplanetary space around the sun.Asteroid: A rocky object that orbits the sun and has an average size between a meteoroid and a planet.Meteorite: A meteoroid, especially one that has hit Earth’s surface.Meteor: A meteoroid that enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up.Meteoroid: A “space rock”-a relatively small object traveling through space, between the size of a grain of dust and a small asteroid.And you’ll even get some tips for when to spot them in the sky! ⚡️ Quick summary You’ll also learn how they compare or relate to asteroids and comets.
![asteroid vs meteoroid asteroid vs meteoroid](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/82/97/d4/8297d431e3967935e38584a85bec0d88.png)
You’re about to get a crash course in the differences and similarities-some subtle, some meatier-between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. Are they all the same thing? Even though some of them may appear pretty similar to us, the answer is no, they’re not the same thing-especially not to the scientists who study them and who use different terms for specific reasons (more on them later). Therefore, let’s take a closer look at what these different terms really mean.Meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, asteroids, comets … that’s a lot of terms (and space objects) flying around! Not to mention shooting stars and meteor showers. Not only is this insulting for these magnificent celestial bodies, but it also doesn’t make any sense. If you want to appreciate and share the beauty of our universe with others (particularly in conversation), you should take the time to properly understand all the players. The terms “ asteroids”, “meteors” and “meteorites” get thrown around quite randomly without any real consideration of their actual meanings. In the spirit of sharing some science, let’s clear up the confusion around these cosmic wanderers once and for all. You can probably understand the challenge for people who are interested in the mind-boggling phenomena that take place in space, but still get confused whenever there is talk about a meteor or a meteorite crash. Do you remember hearing the story of a meteor crashing in New York back in 1992? It was a meteor, right? Or was it a meteorite? It surely wasn’t an asteroid though… or was it?