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Age
The study of meteorites has found many of these interplanetary objects are as old as five billion years. Earth itself is only about four and a half billion years old. Therefore, most meteorites are dated from the first stage of solar system formation, called the "solar nebula" phase. During this phase, debris of a nearby supernova once again gathered to form a central condensed body that would eventually become the sun. Around this body a spiraling disc of mineral and gaseous matter orbited.
Composition
Meteorites are commonly composed of stone and iron with a high nickel content. Based on the study of their composition, these objects are believed to be the remnants of planets that formed early in the life of the solar system. These planets were later destroyed by large collisions or the gravitational pull of larger plants. This resulted in chunks of planetary material that shot off into the solar system, where they remain today.
Formation of a Meteorite
Meteorites form as the gravitational force of a coalescing planet separates heavy metals such as iron and nickel from lighter minerals like dust and gases. These heavy metals form into the molten metallic core of solid planets. These rocky planets are closest to the sun because the gravity of the forming star pulled minerals closer to it while gaseous debris remained farther away. Yet rocky planets that formed too close to the heavy gravitational pull of Jupiter were eventually torn apart, leaving meteorite debris.
Place in the Solar System
The asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is where many the solar system's meteorites lie. Meteorites that formed when Jupiter's gravitational pull destroyed nearby rocky planets ended up as part of this belt. Other meteorites may have originated on the moon or Mars and may have broken away from the planet after large collisions on the planet's surface. These meteorites sometimes get caught in the orbit of other planetary bodies rather than colliding with the planet's surface.