Meteors, Meteorites, and Meteoroids
Shooting stars or falling stars are really just meteors. Meteors are meteoroids that have entered earth’s atmosphere. When they enter earth’s atmosphere they usually leave a fiery trail. It moves at about 70 kilometers per second just before it reaches earth’s atmosphere. The gas in earth’s atmosphere and the friction of the fast moving meteor together cause intense heat which makes the meteor burn and glow. Most meteors burn up before colliding into the earths surface.
Meteors that are brighter than Venus are called fireballs. A meteor shower is when a lot of meteors fall through the atmosphere in parallel directions in a short time period. A meteor storm is an intense meteor shower. Most meteors incinerate before hitting earth’s surface. Meteors turn into meteorites after hitting earth’s surface, if they hit the surface. Meteoroids are very small bodies that go through space.
Meteoroids also orbit the sun but they travel in different orbits at different speeds. The quickest meteoroids travel at about 26 miles per second. Most meteoroids are smaller than asteroids. Asteroids that are broken apart by impacts will most likely create meteoroids.
Meteors that are brighter than Venus are called fireballs. A meteor shower is when a lot of meteors fall through the atmosphere in parallel directions in a short time period. A meteor storm is an intense meteor shower. Most meteors incinerate before hitting earth’s surface. Meteors turn into meteorites after hitting earth’s surface, if they hit the surface. Meteoroids are very small bodies that go through space.
Meteoroids also orbit the sun but they travel in different orbits at different speeds. The quickest meteoroids travel at about 26 miles per second. Most meteoroids are smaller than asteroids. Asteroids that are broken apart by impacts will most likely create meteoroids.
Resources
"Meteors: Zoom Astronomy." 2002. 29 Jan. 2013
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/meteor/index.shtml>
"Meteors and Meteorites." 29 Jan. 2013 <http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/meteors/meteors.html>
"Meteoroids: Zoom Astronomy." 1 Feb. 2013
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/meteor/meteoroid.shtml>
http://daligiger.deviantart.com/art/Stars-in-5-Minutes-144220526
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/meteor/index.shtml>
"Meteors and Meteorites." 29 Jan. 2013 <http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/meteors/meteors.html>
"Meteoroids: Zoom Astronomy." 1 Feb. 2013
<http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/meteor/meteoroid.shtml>
http://daligiger.deviantart.com/art/Stars-in-5-Minutes-144220526