What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteorite?

Answer 1

An asteroid is a predominantly rocky body that orbits around its star. In our solar system, asteroids are the best known class of minor planet (or planetoid). They are much smaller than even the small major planets such as Mercury or Mars. The vast majority of the asteroids are found within the main asteroid belt, with elliptical orbits between those of Mars and Jupiter. It is thought that asteroids are remnants of the protoplanetary disc, and in this region the incorporation of protoplanetary remnants into the planets was prevented by large gravitational perturbations induced by Jupiter during the formative period of the solar system. Some asteroids have moons.

A meteorite is an extraterrestrial body that survives its impact with the Earth's surface without being destroyed. While in space it is called a meteoroid. When it enters the atmosphere, air resistance causes the body to heat up and emit light, thus forming a fireball, also known as a meteor or shooting star. The term bolide refers to either an extraterrestrial body that collides with the Earth, or to an exceptionally bright, fireball-like meteor regardless of whether it ultimately impacts the surface.More generally, a meteorite on the surface of any celestial body is an object that has come from elsewhere in space. Meteorites have been found on the Moon and Mars.

Answer 2

A meteorite is a meteor that has fallen to earth (as opposed to a meteor which is still in space).

An asteroid is a small body which travels around the sun. Most asteroids are between Mars and Jupiter.

Answer 3

An asteroid is big, in a range of kilometers or miles. We see'em with telescopes, orbiting the sun like the even bigger things called planets. Anything that invades the Earth's atmosphere, that is made of stone or metal rather than water or ice, is a meteor. If it's made of water or ice it's a comet. Meteors are usually, though not always, little, and, if they're not, catastrophe follows. The dinosaurs didn't know what had hit them! Most of the meteors we see during a meteor shower are the size of pebbles or grains of dust, and they make big sparks when they enter the atmosphere. Others, such as the one that landed near the Yucatan Peninsula lo these many years ago, reportedly wiping out dinosaurs and doing other mischief, can be the size of Mount Everest. The things that hit the planet Jupiter a few years ago-- whether they were comets or meteors or whatever-- were big, too. I don't care what you call them, when they're that big I just want somebody to swat them out of the sky before they hit us.

Answer 4

An asteroid is any of numerous small celestial bodies that revolve around the sun, with orbits lying chiefly between Mars and Jupiter and characteristic diameters between a few and several hundred kilometers. Also called minor planet, planetoid.

A meteorite is a stony or metallic mass of matter that has fallen to the earth's surface from outer space.

Answer 5

Asteroids are very small bodies of rock orbiting the sun . Most of them between Mars and Jupiter. Probably meteorites are asteroids that hit the earth giving light during their fall. In Saturn's ring you also see these kind of rocks.

Answer 6

I believe (and I could be completely wrong!) that an asteroid is a piece of a star, and a meteorite is a piece of a planet. If I'm wrong, I hope someone can advise me on my ignorance of the subject at hand!!

Answer 7

I think it mainly depends on the situation...an asteroid is a rock that is in space and revolves around the sun in an orbit...a meteorite is a rock that has crashed to the earth from space...the difference in their names don't refer to a difference in the materials, but it refers to the difference in the location of a rock that is within or comes from outer space...

Answer 8

If an asteroid hits the earth we all die. If a meteorite hits the earth we can go see it at a museum.

Answer 9

an asteroid is a rock in space, when the rock hits the atmosphere of a planet it becomes a meteor, when it hits the ground, it becomes a meteorite. comets seldom become meteorites because they usually disintegrate in the atmosphere.

Answer 10

Size