
Meteorite - Wikipedia
[1] A meteorite is a rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and …
Meteorite | Definition, Types, Identification, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 22, 2025 · Meteorite, any fairly small natural object from interplanetary space—i.e., a meteoroid—that survives its passage through Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the surface. In …
Meteorite - Education
Apr 4, 2024 · The best-preserved impact crater in the world is the Barringer Meteorite Crater, near the U.S. town of Winslow, Arizona. There, more than 50,000 years ago, a meteorite weighing about …
Meteors and Meteorites - NASA Science
Jul 17, 2025 · Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons (44 tonnes or 44,000 kilograms) of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day. Almost all the material is vaporized in Earth's atmosphere, leaving a …
Meteorite Identification: Have you found a space rock?
If you would like to learn more about meteorite identification, and discover how to perform some other simple tests at home, please visit The Aerolite Guide to Meteorite Identification. Meteorites are very …
What Is a Meteorite? - American Museum of Natural History
In simplest terms, a meteorite is a rock that falls to Earth from space. Meteorites are rocks, but they are not like Earth rocks. Most are far older, and they provide some of the only samples we have of other …
Meteorite facts – Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies
Learn more about meteorite locations, and where meteorites are found, here! How do we know whether a meteorite is a new, distinct meteorite or part of an older find? Detailed microscopic, chemical and …
Meteorite: What is a Meteorite, Definition, Composition
A meteorite is a rock that originates in outer space and survives its passage through Earth's atmosphere to reach the ground. It is a piece of extraterrestrial material that has fallen to Earth's surface.
Meteorites: Messengers From Outer Space - Smithsonian National …
Jul 31, 2025 · A meteor is the streak of light caused when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere. Air friction melts the meteoroid's surface, making it glow white hot. Meteors also are called shooting …
Meteorite Identification | Public | Clemson University, South Carolina
Meteorites are “fragments of rock or iron from a meteoroid, asteroid, or possibly a comet that pass through a planet or moon's atmosphere and survive the impact on the surface” (1). Meteoroids are …