How do a meteor, a meteoroid, and a meteorite differ from one another?

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The terms meteor, meteoroid, and meteorite refer to the same object at different stages of its journey through space and Earth's atmosphere.1

  • Meteoroid: This is a small natural object, typically a fragment of an asteroid or comet, that travels through interplanetary space.21
  • 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.21
  • Meteorite: If a meteoroid is large enough or enters at an angle that allows it to survive its fiery passage without being completely vaporized, the portion that lands on Earth’s surface is known as a meteorite.21

While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, they are distinct based on the object's location and state: a meteoroid is in space, a meteor is the atmospheric light phenomenon, and a meteorite is the physical remnant found on the ground.21