Definition · Plain-language
Meteorite
A meteorite is a piece of rock or metal from space that has survived its fiery passage through the atmosphere and reached the ground.
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A piece of space that reached the ground
A meteorite is what is left after a meteoroid — a small body travelling through space — plunges into Earth’s atmosphere and survives the journey to land on the surface. The terms are easy to muddle: in space it is a meteoroid, the streak of light as it burns is a meteor, and the landed fragment is the meteorite. Most meteoroids burn up completely, so only a fraction of incoming material ever reaches the ground. Those that do are often blackened on the outside by a fusion crust, formed as their surface melted during the searingly hot descent.
The three main types
Meteorites are grouped by what they are made of. Stony meteorites, the most common, are made chiefly of rocky minerals and resemble Earth rocks, though many contain tiny spheres called chondrules from the early Solar System. Iron meteorites are made largely of iron-nickel metal, are very dense and heavy for their size, and are thought to come from the cores of shattered asteroids. Stony-iron meteorites, the rarest, are a mixture of rock and metal. Identifying the type tells scientists about the parent body the meteorite came from and how it formed.
Why meteorites matter to science
Meteorites are among the most valuable objects available to planetary scientists, because they are free samples delivered from across the Solar System. Most originate in the asteroid belt and preserve material that has barely changed since the Solar System formed, offering a direct glimpse of its earliest ingredients. A small number are pieces blasted off the Moon or Mars by large impacts, letting researchers study those worlds without a space mission. By analysing meteorites, scientists learn about the age and composition of the Solar System and the processes that built the planets.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: a space rock fragment that survives the fall and lands on Earth
- Stages: meteoroid (in space) → meteor (burning) → meteorite (landed)
- Origin: mostly asteroids; a few from the Moon or Mars
- Three types: stony, iron, and stony-iron
- Outer sign: often a dark fusion crust from melting during entry
- Why it matters: a direct sample of the early Solar System
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: A meteor and a meteorite are the same thing.
Actually: A meteor is the streak of light made as the rock burns through the atmosphere. A meteorite is the solid piece that survives and lands on the ground — the object you could pick up.
Often heard: Meteorites are always glowing hot when they land.
Actually: Only the thin outer surface melts during the brief, fast descent. By the time most meteorites reach the ground after slowing down high up, their interiors are cold, sometimes even frosty.
Often heard: All meteorites come from comets.
Actually: Most meteorites come from asteroids, with a rare few from the Moon or Mars. Comet debris usually burns up entirely as meteor showers and seldom lands as recoverable meteorites.
