how do asteroids and meteorites differ?

Answer 1

Asteroids, also called minor planets or planetoids, are a class of astronomical object. The term asteroid is generally used to indicate a diverse group of small celestial bodies that drift in the solar system in orbit around the Sun. Asteroid (Greek for "star-like") is the word used most in the English literature for minor planets, which has been the term preferred by the International Astronomical Union; some other languages prefer planetoid (Greek: "planet-like"), because it more accurately describes what they are. In late August 2006, the IAU introduced the term "small solar system bodies" (SSSBs), which includes most objects thusfar classified as minor planets, as well as comets. At the same time they introduced the term dwarf planet for the largest minor planets. This article deals specifically with the minor planets that orbit in the inner solar system (roughly up to the orbit of Jupiter). For other types of objects, such as comets, Trans-Neptunian objects, and Centaurs, see Small solar system body.

The first asteroid to be discovered in the Solar System, Ceres, is the largest asteroid known to date and is now classified as a dwarf planet. All others are currently classified as small solar system bodies. The vast majority of asteroids are found within the main asteroid belt, with elliptical orbits between those of Mars and Jupiter. It is thought that these 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 or are found in pairs known as binary systems.

Asteroids in the solar system
Hundreds of thousands of asteroids have been discovered within the solar system and the present rate of discovery is about 5000 per month. As of September 17, 2006, from a total of 342,358 registered minor planets, 136,563 have orbits known well enough to be given permanent official numbers. Of these, 13,422[1] have official names.[2] The lowest-numbered but unnamed minor planet is (3360) 1981 VA; the highest-numbered named minor planet (other than the dwarf planets 136199 Eris and 134340 Pluto) is 129342 Ependes.[3]

Current estimates put the total number of asteroids above 1 km in diameter in the solar system to be between 1.1 and 1.9 million.[4] The largest asteroid in the inner solar system is 1 Ceres, with a diameter of 900-1000 km. Two other large inner solar system belt asteroids are 2 Pallas and 4 Vesta; both have diameters of ~500 km. Vesta is the only main belt asteroid that is sometimes visible to the naked eye (in some very rare occasions, a near-Earth asteroid may be visible without technical aid; see 99942 Apophis).

The mass of all the asteroids of the Main Belt is estimated to be about 3.0-3.6×1021 kg,[5][6] or about 4% of the mass of our moon. Of this, 1 Ceres comprises 0.95×1021 kg, some 32% of the total. Adding in the next three most massive asteroids, 4 Vesta (9%), 2 Pallas (7%), and 10 Hygiea (3%), bring this figure up to 51%; while the three after that, 511 Davida (1.2%), 704 Interamnia (1.0%), and 3 Juno (0.9%), only add another 3% to the total mass. The number of asteroids then increases rapidly as their individual masses decrease.

and

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.

Meteorites that are recovered after being observed as they transitted the atmosphere or impacted the Earth are called falls. All other meteorites are known as finds. As of mid-2006, there are approximately 1050 witnessed falls having specimens in the world's collections. In contrast, there are over 31,000 well-documented meteorite finds[1].

Meteorites are always named for the place where they were found [2], usually a nearby town or geographic feature. In cases where many meteorites were found in one place, the name may be followed by a number or letter (e.g., Allan Hills 84001 or Dimmitt (b)).

Meteorites have traditionally been divided into three broad categories: stony meteorites are rocks, mainly composed of silicate minerals; iron meteorites are largely composed of metallic iron-nickel; and, stony-iron meteorites contain large amounts of both metallic and rocky material. Modern classification schemes divide meteorites into groups according to their structure, chemical and isotopic composition and mineralogy. See Meteorites classification.

You could get more information from the 2 links below...

Answer 2

Asteroids are rocky and metallic objects that orbit the Sun but are too small to be considered planets. They are known as minor planets

A meteorite is a meteoroid that reaches the surface of the Earth without being completely vaporized.

A meteoroid is matter revolving around the sun or any object in interplanetary space that is too small to be called an asteroid or a comet.

Answer 3

Astroids are rocky and metallic objects that orbit the sun, but are too small to be considered planets. Astroids have no core, no center of gravity, just a big rock. They orbit mainly between Mars & Jupiter known as the "astroid belt." Some are made of carbon, some of silicate; and others of Nicklel and Iron. There are 200 astroids that regularly cross the path of Earth.

Meteorites are space matter too small to be called astroids or comets. (They do not orbit the sun.) Meteorites are streaks of light produced when meteoroids are illuminated as they fall into the Earth's atmosphere. Meteors that hit earth are moving at about 45 mi. per sec.

Answer 4

Comets and Meteors are both automobiles by the Ford Motor Company. The Mercury Comet and its sister the Ford Falcon were originally introduced in 1960. The Ford Meteor (Canadian) hit the market in 1956 as a full size Family Sedan and reintroduced in the 1980's as a European compact. As for the Asteroid, that is just a bumper with a winch mount for a Ford pickup. Although, there was the Ford Astro Mini van and a 1904 Woody called the Aster.

Answer 5

Asteroids become Meteorites when it hits the Earth's Atmosphere. Most Metereorites burn up in Earths Atmosphere, causing shooting stars. Astroids are rocks floating through space, most of them between Jupiter and mars, are in the astroid belt.

Answer 6

asteroids float in space. meteorites are asteroids and comets that have hit the earth

Answer 7

asteroids are rocky and metallic formed inside the ice line. comets are ice and gas and formed outside the ice line. their orbits are opposite as well, comets have a prograde circular orbit whereas comets orbit in a random very elliptical orbit.