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> Technically it is not a meteorite until it impacts with the Earth's surface, therefore this object may actually be a meteoroid. Not quite. Before entering Ea
by lutusp 13y ago
> Technically it is not a meteorite until it impacts with the Earth's surface, therefore this object may actually be a meteoroid.
Not quite. Before entering Earth's atmosphere, it's a meteoroid. While passing through the atmosphere, it's a meteor. After landing, it's a meteorite.
http://www.livescience.com/27183-asteroid-meteorite-meteor-meteoroid.html http://www.livescience.com/27183-asteroid-meteorite-meteor-m...
- escapologybb 13y ago> While passing through the atmosphere, it's a meteor. Just to be an absurdly pedantic, it's actually only the flash of light that is the meteor and not the rock itself. http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/answer.php.id=22&cat=solarsystem http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/answer.php.id=22&ca...
- aDevilInMe 13y agoMeteor is a description of the burning in the atmosphere not the object itself, which is still a meteoroid.
- lutusp 13y ago> Meteor is a description of the burning in the atmosphere not the object itself ... Yes, fair enough. Unless the object is consumed in the process of generating the visible presentation (often true), which makes it a meteor -- or perhaps I should say "turns it into a meteor".