Meteorite: Properties, Facts and Photos

What is a Meteorite?

A meteorite is a natural object that originated in outer space and survived following an impact on the Earth's surface without being destroyed.

While still in space, the object is called a meteoroid, but once it enters Earth's atmosphere, resistance to air causes it to heat up and emit light, forming a fireball. It then becomes known as a meteor or shooting star.

Meteorites tend to be fragments of rock and/or metal that have broken away from a larger extraterrestrial body. They can measure anything from a fraction of a millimetre. The largest meteorite ever to have collided with Earth is believed to have been approximately six to nine miles in diameter.

Captured by Earth's gravitational force, meteorites accelerate to speeds of over 11.2 kilometres per second. As they enter Earth's thick, gassy atmosphere, they slow down rapidly because of friction. As that happens, they begin to glow. The flashes across the sky eventually crash to the ground.

Most meteorites disintegrate as they enter Earth's atmosphere, however, thousands are still found around the world each year. It's extremely rare to see one hit the ground because most seem to fall into the sea.

The best places to spot a meteorite are in dry locations, such as deserts, where they don't erode so quickly and are less likely to be obscured by vegetation.

Most meteorites are fragments that have come away as two asteroids collide. Asteroids are irregularly shaped rocks that orbit the sun. There are many thousands in our solar system.

A small number of asteroids come from the moon and Mars. Some can be as young as 180 million years old.

Particles from one of the most studied meteorites that fell in Australia in 1969 are estimated to be seven billion years old. The age of Earth is a mere 4.54 billion years old.

Meteorites are occasionally used as gemstones because of their rarity. They're also used for their metaphysical properties. 

When used in alternative therapies a meteorite is said to balance energy, improve endurance and help deal with the effects of sadness. In many cultures they're looked upon as being sacred.

The iron-nickel meteorite in our photograph is housed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. The photo is clickable and redirects to the original image. Courtesy of Chuck Sutherland.