What are meteors and meteorites?
A meteoroid is a small object in space; its luminous atmospheric streak is a meteor, and a surviving fragment is a meteorite.
How it works and key principles
Formation: A fast incoming object compresses air in front of it, producing hot glowing gas. Most small pieces break apart before reaching the ground. Meteor showers can recur when Earth passes through debris left by a comet.
Evidence, examples and limits
Scientific value: Minerals and isotopes in recovered meteorites help researchers study the early solar system. Origin cannot reliably be established from appearance alone; documentation and laboratory analysis matter. A bright meteor is not necessarily a very large object.
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