Space is teeming with millions of tiny pieces of rock and dust left over from the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. These fragments are called meteoroids. They range in size from minuscule dust particles no larger than one-millionth of a gram to large rocks weighing many tonnes. Meteoroids travel through space and are often caught by Earth’s gravitational pull. When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to heat up because of friction. As it heats up, it starts to glow, becoming a meteor — better known as a shooting star. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before they reach the ground. Those that hit the Earth’s surface are called meteorites.
So, they start as a meteoroid in the sky. Then, they fall as a meteor flashing light. Next, when it lands on Earth, we call it a meteorite.
- Meteoroids are far up in the sky.
- Meteorites have already landed on Earth.
- Meteors are falling down to Earth streaking light when they break down in the atmosphere.
So, they start as a meteoroid in the sky. Then, they fall as a meteor flashing light. Next, when it lands on Earth, we call it a meteorite.
Meteoroids
Meteoroids are stony or metallic debris travel through outer space – some directed to Earth. Meteoroids are smaller than asteroids and contain less water and ice than comets. In terms of location, meteoroids are way out in our solar system. They aren’t in Earth’s atmosphere and they haven’t. Because meteoroids are in the solar system, they can interfere with spacecraft operations. This is why considers the risk of meteoroids beyond Earth’s orbit.
Meteors
When you observe a meteor shower in the sky, these are meteors burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. During a meteor shower, we often call meteors “shooting stars”.
Meteors flash light through the sky because of Earth’s atmosphere. Specifically, meteors break due to friction in our mesosphere. They often leave a tail behind them in the direction they are traveling in. After all, meteor showers are among the most beautiful sites we can observe in our night’s sky. Most meteors never make it to the Earth and break down in the atmosphere. Specifically, they break down in the mesosphere. But the ones that reach the ground, we call them “meteorites”.
Meteorites
Meteorites are something that we all can see because they are the ones that crash down to Earth. For example, the Barringer Crater in Arizona is an old artifact from a stony meteorite. Stony meteors like this one are the most abundant. We know this from all the meteorites that we count in the ice of Antarctica. When you look at the moon, you can see all the impacts from meteors. Back in primeval days, Earth had the same number of meteor impacts. So why can we see so many meteors on the moon but not on Earth?
One of the key differences is how much water we have on Earth. Because the Earth is mostly water, we don’t see a lot of the meteorites that reach the Earth. But how about ones that crash on land? Over the years, weathering, erosion and mass wasting has erased many craters, mountains and terrain on Earth.
Picture Credit : Google