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What Is the Difference Between a Meteoroid & a Meteorite?

A meteoroid is a small piece of interplanetary debris traveling through space at thousands of miles an hour. The few meteoroids that actually land on earth are called meteorites.

Meteoroids
- Meteoroids are small particles of comets or asteroids. According to NASA, most meteoroids are the size of a pebble.
Visible Meteoroids
- A meteoroid entering the earth's atmosphere reaches such a high temperature that it ignites, creating a streak of light that can sometimes be seen on earth.
Meteors
- A meteor, sometimes called a shooting star, is the name given to the trail of a vaporized meteoroid.
Meteorites
- Meteoroids are usually so small that they are completely vaporized when they enter the earth's atmosphere.
Visibility
- Meteorites are rare, and most that fall are not found. According to David A. Kring of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, very few meteorites are actually seen falling.

Astronomy