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How are meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites different?
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Solar system
The planets (in comparative size) in order of distance from the Sun.
The terms meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite describe the same object at different stages of its journey through space and into Earth's atmosphere.12
- Meteoroid: This is a small stony or metallic object, typically ranging from the size of a grain of sand to several meters across, that travels through interplanetary space in orbit around the Sun.123
- Meteor: When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere at high velocity, frictional heating causes it to vaporize and glow. This luminous streak of light is called a meteor, often popularly referred to as a "shooting star".123
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid is large or sturdy enough to survive its fiery passage through the atmosphere and lands on the surface of Earth (or another large body), the remaining object is known as a meteorite.124
Most meteoroids are fragments of asteroids or comets and are considered small bodies within the solar system.14