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How do a meteor, a meteoroid, and a meteorite differ from one another?
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Meteor and meteoroid
The Cabin Creek meteorite, an iron (nickel-iron alloy) meteorite that was observed to fall in northwestern Arkansas on March 27, 1886. Its characteristic pattern of “thumbprint” dimples, or regmaglypts, is the result of melting and consequent ablation of its surface as it traveled through the atmosphere. The meteorite is likely a fragment of one of the M class asteroids, which show significant nickel-iron in their surface material.
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