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meteor and meteoroid
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Cabin Creek meteorite Meteor Crater
The difference between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids
Perseid meteor shower Leonid meteor shower interplanetary dust particle dust particles from Comet Wild 2 and interplanetary space Meteor Crater Chicxulub crater Manicouagan Crater
For Students
Meteor Crater
meteor summary
Quizzes
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
27 True-or-False Questions from Britannica’s Most Difficult Science Quizzes
Read Next
Every year in mid-August the Perseid meteor shower has its peak. Meteors, colloquially known as "shooting stars", are caused by pieces of cosmic debris entering Earth's atmosphere at high velocity.
Perseid Meteor Shower
Meteor shower. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
What’s the Difference Between a Meteoroid, a Meteor, and a Meteorite?
Galaxy clusters like Abell 2744 can act as a natural cosmic lens, magnifying light from more distant, background objects through gravity. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect light from the first stars in the universe if they are gravitationally lensed by such clusters. (astronomy, space exploration, galaxies)
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?
Discover
illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum
Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs
The impeachment trial of Pres. Andrew Johnson, illustration from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 28, 1868.
What If the President Is Impeached?
Poker game. Card game. Royal Flush in poker. Hearts suit gambling
Poker Hands Ranked
Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)
All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained
Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment)
Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
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Black widow spider
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meteor and meteoroid: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As shooting star • falling star

Photos and Videos

Cabin Creek meteorite
Meteor Crater
Perseid meteor shower
Leonid meteor shower
interplanetary dust particle
dust particles from Comet Wild 2 and interplanetary space
Meteor Crater
Chicxulub crater
Manicouagan Crater
Gaspra
The difference between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids
Overview of meteorites and their impact on the earth
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Ernst Öpik
Estonian astronomer
Fred L. Whipple
American astronomer

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
27 True-or-False Questions from Britannica’s Most Difficult Science Quizzes
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Demystified
Meteor shower. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
What’s the Difference Between a Meteoroid, a Meteor, and a Meteorite?