A meteor, a meteoroid, and a meteorite are all space rocks, but they're different at each stage of their journey. Imagine you have three friends who go on a road trip: one is just starting the journey (a meteoroid), one is shining brightly in the sky as they travel (a meteor), and one has finally reached Earth and crashes down (a meteorite). The difference is all about where they are in their journey through space.
Examples
- When that same rock starts glowing as it falls through the atmosphere, it’s now a meteor.
- If that glowing rock crashes into Earth, it becomes a meteorite.
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See also
- What is astronomy?
- What are massive stars?
- How Do Stars Die in Space?
- How do black holes form and what are their properties?
- What are space telescopes?