• Question: What is a difference between a meteoroid and a meteorite?

    Asked by 08sbhatt to David, Luna, Mark, Melanie, Probash on 15 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: David Pyle

      David Pyle answered on 11 Mar 2011:

      It’s a case of definition: a meteoroid is usually thought of as a solid, natural object which is moving in interplanetary space. Meteoroids are defined to have sizes in the range from 10 microns, to metres.. Smaller than this, and it is ‘dust’; larger than this, and it is an ‘asteroid’.

      A meteorite is a solid, natural object from outer space which has landed on another celestial body. (Meteorites have been found on Earth, Moon and Mars).

      These definitions both require meteoroids and meteorites to be natural objects – I wonder what the appropriate words should be for man-made debris floating in interplanetary space, or landing on the surface of other celestial bodies?

    • Photo: Melanie Stefan

      Melanie Stefan answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      I’m not an expert on this, but I think a meteroid is essentially a rock moving through space. If some bit of it falls of and lands on earth, that’s a meteorite.

    • Photo: Probash Chowdhury

      Probash Chowdhury answered on 14 Mar 2011:

      Is there a difference? Sorry, no idea.

    • Photo: Luna Munoz

      Luna Munoz answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      A meteoroid is found in space and a meteorite is one that reaches Earth. So, what is a meteoron? 😉

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