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Science

What’s The Difference Between a Meteor, Meteorite, Comet, and an Asteroid?

Feb. 15, 2013 7:31am Mike Opelka

Friday morning’s headlines about the meteorite that hit Russia and the asteroid expected to come close to our planet Friday might have many people focused on the skies today. And all of the scientific terminology heard in news reports had us wondering: “What’s the difference between a meteorite and an asteroid?”

What is the difference between a meteor and an asteroid?

A quick check with the folks at the Spaceguard Centre and Observatory and the Aerospace Guide gave us an education about “Near Earth Objects” (NEOs). Here are the basics to help you sound smart around the office today:

Near Earth Object (NEO) - Near Earth Objects are asteroids or comets that have orbits around the Sun that bring them close to the Earth. The actual definition of an NEO is a comet or asteroid whose orbit brings it close to Earth’s orbit.

Asteroid - A relatively small, inactive body, composed of rock, carbon or metal, which is orbiting the Sun.

Comet - A relatively small, sometimes active object, which is composed of dirt and ices. Comets are characterised by dust and gas tails when in proximity to the Sun. Far from the Sun it is difficult to distinguish an asteroid from a comet.

Meteoroid - A small particle from an asteroid or comet orbiting the Sun.

Meteor - A meteoroid that is observed as it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere – a shooting star.

Meteorite - A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and impacts the Earth’s surface.

In summation, an asteroid is a relatively small object out in space. When an asteroid breaks through our atmosphere and burns up, it becomes a meteor. If the asteroid manages to get all the way through our atmosphere and actually hits the surface of the planet, it is classified as a meteorite.

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Comments (29)

SUNTZU
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 11:59pm
Meteor : way out there,like progressive
Meteorite : rite-winger with progressive tendencies
Comet : auto built by Ford.
Asteroid : cause pain when you sit.

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Daddymac10
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 2:40am
That’s some good education there…

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Spqr1
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 5:18pm
If you don’t know that already, you were obviously asleep during 4th grade science. Or perhaps you were “educated” in a Red state where knowledge of science is openly discouraged.

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- 4PERCENTER
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 10:41pm
  You mean the science of superiority, that believes people who live in states that did not vote for President Barack Hussein Obama, II, are imbeciles because they live on the other side of a state line? The pitiful part of people like you, is that if it were legal, you would murder every person in a ‘red’ state. You are the type of hater that becomes the Sandy Hooks murderer, because one day, your hate supersedes your legal morality, or lack thereof…SMH. Us ‘red state’ people are Praying for you, and all other worshippers of eugenics, the religion of darwin, hitler, sanger and planned parenthood, and every supporter of infanticide a.k.a abortion, including the greatest of them all, President Barack Hussein Obama, II.
  
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oldwmn
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 2:12pm
That’s it putting METAL COLANDER on my head and wearing Dads old MP HELMET on top of that
too many weird omens during Lent…YIPES

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- L.B.Stephens
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 4:17pm
  As long as it is not a meteorite, then it is good.
  
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Lgbpop
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 1:42pm
I really need to correct the impression the author gives, that asteroids can hit the Earth. In point of fact, one almost never will do so. Asteroids (also known as planetoids, or micro-planets) orbit the Sun in a wide belt found between the orbital paths of Mars and Jupiter. Their actions and movements obey all laws of astrodynamics, especially Kepler’s third law of planetary motion which made the location of the asteroid belt predictable within the major gap between Mars and Jupiter. About the only way an asteroid will ever be knocked out of its orbit into a collision course with Earth would be an impact from a comet or meteoroid of enough mass with enough velocity to produce the force necessary to do so. Those are very few in number.

A comet also obeys all three Keplerian orbital laws, but are theorized to originate in the Kuiper Belt past Neptune’s orbit, and in the Oort Cloud, far past Pluto’s orbit. Their orbits are radically elliptical and inclined at all angles from the Sun, as opposed to those of the planets which all orbit in roughly the same plane around the Sun.

Meteoroids are true space junk; non-orbital bodies which can originate anywhere and travel in lines instead of orbits, and sometimes leftover fragments of dead comets still in their original orbit. What makes them interesting is when Earth is the “end of the line” and the effects range from shooting stars (Leonids and Geminids, annual meteor showers) to true random, spectacular fireballs.

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Lgbpop
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 1:37pm
I really need to correct the impression the author gives, that asteroids can hit the Earth. In point of fact, one almost never will do so. Asteroids (also known as planetoids, or micro-planets) orbit the Sun in a wide belt found between the orbital paths of Mars and Jupiter. Their actions and movements obey all laws of astrodynamics, especially Kepler’s third law of planetary motion which made the location of the asteroid belt predictable within the major gap between Mars and Jupiter. About the only way an asteroid will ever be knocked out of its orbit into a collision course with Earth would be an impact from a comet or meteoroid of enough mass with enough velocity to produce the force necessary to do so. Those are very few in number.

A comet also obeys all three Keplerian orbital laws, but are theorized to originate in the Kuiper Belt past Neptune’s orbit, and in the Oort Cloud, far past Pluto’s orbit. Their orbits are radically elliptical and inclined at all angles from the Sun, as opposed to those of the planets which all orbit in roughly the same plane around the Sun.

Meteoroids are true space junk; non-orbital bodies which can originate anywhere and travel in lines instead of orbits, and sometimes leftover fragments of dead comets still in their original orbit. What makes them interesting is when Earth is the “end of the line” and the effects range from shooting stars (Leonids and Geminids, annual meteror showers) to true random, spectacular fireballs.

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YallComeBack
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:13am
Mike Opelka,
The definitions are ok- except for one error. On meteor- you switch terms! “A meteoid is….” instead of “A Meteor is…”

So the definitions are ok, but the summary is horrible. Sorry- whoever wrote it still does not understand these terms.

Asteroids can be small (depending on how “small” is- like a MILE in diameter) or can be comparable to our MOON (but a little smaller). Trust me, if an “asteroid” ever hits the earth: it will be VAST devastation. If it is little it will look like a major atomic bomb went off. If it is larger – we’ll ALL be dead. Generally speaking, an ASTEROID hitting the earth is a rare phenomenon- and a BIG deal.

A meteoroid (notice “oid” is the same as asteroid- oid means it is out in space orbiting the sun) can be dust size to several inches or even feet. Thus it is tiny compared to an asteroid.

Once the meteoroid comes in contact with the earth– it either hits the ground or burns up in the air. The name is different depending on its fate. If it shoots through the sky and burns up- it is a meteor. If it lands on the earth it is a meteorite.

There is actually one more term. 99.9% of the time, meteors are tiny– ending up as shooting stars. And can only be seen in the dark of night. Once in a while, they are bigger. When they are bigger, their burning can be 1. huge 2. visible in daylight. Then they are a “fireball”.

This event was 1. a fireball 2. apparently resulted in a meteorite act

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- YallComeBack
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:17am
  actually hitting the earth.
  
  Hope that helps some.
  
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WTFurnuts
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 9:13am
What’s the difference?????
you can get rid of an asteroid with preperation h, the others? not so much.

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- christhefanatic
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 3:57pm
  …and I could use some comet on my kitchen sink…and I am a meateater.
  
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TheCalmOne
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:42am
Doesn’t the Bible tell you?

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- carhouse
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:50am
  whats the difference,
  well… the dems will tell you the repubs causedit and the other is from global warming
  
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grimjack3791
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:39am
One thing they have in common: They are all Bush’s fault.

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walnutportconservative
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:31am
This was something sent there from North Korea.
Really
What difference does it make what we call it?
Obama regime will redefine any terms for any reason.
No more absolutes.

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- Stoic one
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:08am
  water, ice, humidity…..what’s the difference? It is all H-2-O…
  
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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:22am
It doesn’t matter this is an excuse to declare an emergency disaster, save the fat cat insurance lobbyists and TEAR LOOSE THE CHAINS of the Congressional budget, even as we speak Joe Biden is putting together a $200 billion relief plan for devasted areas of the country that do not have meteor insurance? Wait, no damage you say?

Blame it on Kommy Care for 4 year olds?

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Diane TX
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:15am
None of the “Watchers” saw this thing coming? That’s very strange.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:57am
  Not at all. It was small, fast and irregular. You overestimate technological capabilities, likely based on breathless media reports.
  
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- 4PERCENTER
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 10:55pm
  They saw it, but they decided not to create a panic. The truth is, they had no clue how bad it would be, and it could have been cataclysmic! Remember the one that was like a nuke that stuck in Siberia? They can’t know how much will burn up and how much will impact, so it’s best to just let it happen. “Back to our regularly scheduled program”…some rich person is sinning, and the world needs to know about it! How is the princess’ fetus doing? That is a lot more interesting…
  
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FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:15am
There’s definitely a “Klingons around Uranus” joke in here somewhere, but I’ll leave that to others.

LOL

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DougHuffman
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:09am
Meteor does not strike. Meteorite does strike (rain is a meteorite).

Asteroid is sub-minor planet in solar orbit. Comet is differentiated from asteroid by its tail caused by its composition. A very old comet with all of its volatiles boiled away might appear as an asteroid.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 8:18am
  Orbital mechanics give the Siberian meteorite 70,000 mph speed, obviating a missile ‘salvo’ success. Don’t babble, “velocity” is a vector. Who fails to do arithmetic is doomed, not least to nonsense on DaBlasé.
  
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- Stoic one
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:49pm
  UH actually no.
  
  Rain comes from within the Earth’s atmosphere. Meteors/meteorites come from outside of the Earth – space.
  
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DZ-015
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 7:41am
The headline to the main story about the Russian strike is technically incorrect. It did not become a meteorite until after it landed. It was a meteor all the way through the atmosphere, including the point it was caught on camera and the point it hit the building, because it had not yet reached the ground.

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- Gonzo
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 7:47am
  The Ruskies say they blew it up with their missile defense system when it was 20 kilometers in the air. See any sign of that? I didn’t.
  
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 7:39am
Ultimately for those of us on earth the difference is this:

Do they make contact with the ground?
How big is the thing when it slams into the earth?
How much destruction occurs?

And the grand one for the insane Democrats:

How did global warming cause this meteor to crash upon the earth, and how soon can we regulate the causes of global warming out of existence?

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- skyguy51
  Posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:05pm
  @Snow, you forgot to add Gun Control Legislation to prevent a similar occurrence in the future and increase the FEMA aid package to New York
  
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