Meteors are typically pieces of comet dust no larger than a grain of rice – burn up before reaching the ground. As they vaporize, they leave behind fiery trails sometimes called “shooting stars “ even though meteors are not stars. On the other hand, meteorites are fairly small natural objects from interplanetary space, that survive their passage through Earth and land on the surface. They are small rocky or metallic bodies in outer space. In this article, we discuss 5 major differences between meteors and meteorites.
Difference between meteors and meteorites
| Parameters | Meteor | Meteorites |
| Definition | If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes, it becomes a meteor | A fragment of rock or iron originates from outer space which is a meteoroid, which can survive passage through the atmosphere as a meteor to impact the surfaces of the Earth and is termed a meteorite |
| Size | They are usually millimeter-sized or smaller | A fragment of rock or iron originates from outer space which is a meteoroid, which can survive passage through the atmosphere as a meteor to impact the surfaces of the Earth and is termed as a meteorite |
| Types | •Bolides•Fireballs•Earth grazers | • Stony meteorites•Stony-iron meteorites•iron meteorites |
| Origin | They are considered to be a part of the solar system | Originates from outer space |
| Composition | Meteors are burning rocks | They contain a combination of metal, magnetic elements, and nickel. |
Types of meteorites :
•Iron meteorites:
Iron meteorites as the name suggests consist mainly of iron-based alloy with small amounts of sulfide and carbide minerals.
differentiated meteorites are meteorites that are obtained as a result of melting. They undergo major chemical or physical change, solidifying from a molten state.
Sometimes they have an iron core and concentric layers that surround a silicate mantle and crust. This type of structure is very similar to terrestrial planets ( Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth), which also have metallic cares.
• Stony–iron meteorites :
Stony-iron are considered some of the most beautiful meteorites. They contain equal parts of iron-nickel metal and silicate minerals. They are found as gemstones also.
There are two different types of stony-iron meteorites ;
1. Pallasite:
They contain big, beautiful olive-green crystals – a form of magnesium–iron silicate called olivine embedded entirely in metals.
2. Mesosiderites:
They are a variety of rocks composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by finer material.
•Stony Meteorites:
They contain mostly rock-forming (silicate ) minerals. They are the most abundant type of meteorite. Types of stony meteorites are:
1. Chondrites :
They have a distinctive appearance, made from droplets of silicate minerals mixed with small grains of sulfides and iron-nickel metal.
2. Achondrites:
They are igneous well as they can be melted into magma. When magma cools and crystallizes, it creates a concentric layered structure.
