Posts Tagged ‘meteors’

A comet is a small celestial object made mostly of ice and dust that, when close enough to the sun, displays a visible coma (a fuzzy outline) and sometimes a tail. They typically orbit the sun in elongated paths and can be visible for days. A meteor, also known as a shooting star or falling star, is the visible streak of light that occurs when a meteoroid (small piece of debris in space) enters the Earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes. Meteors are typically much smaller than comets and are only visible for a few seconds.

Did you know that the same object can become a meteor, a meteorite, and a meteoroid during its lifespan?  How is that possible, and what is the difference between meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids?

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