A Meteorite in a Lab
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Types of Meteoroid
There are three types of meteoroid, based on what they're made out of. Most meteoroids contain nickel and iron. But how much of them is made of these metals varies.
Meteoroids that are mostly made out of iron are called irons. Meteoroids that are mostly made out of rock are called stones. And meteoroids that are a fairly even mix are called stony irons.
Meteoroid Facts
Here are some facts about meteoroids:
• When a meteoroid burns up in the atmosphere as a meteor, its color is affected by what materials make it up and how fast it's moving. They can burn with an orange, yellow, blue, green, or even violet tint.
• Whenever a meteoroid hits a planet or moon, it creates a crater. These craters get eroded away on the Earth and other active bodies, because of volcanic activity and weather. But on less geologically active bodies like the Moon, they stay around a lot longer. This is why there are so many craters on the Moon.
• If a meteoroid is larger than 1 meters, it's usually considered to be an asteroid. If it's smaller than grain-size, it's usually called space dust or a micrometeoroid.
Lesson Summary
A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic object travelling through space. When that meteoroid is falling into the Earth's atmosphere, it's called a meteor. And when it lands, it's called a meteorite. This landing of a meteoroid creates an impact crater. If a planet has no volcanic or weather activity, it can stay around a long time. This is why the Moon has so many craters.
Meteoroids are usually bits of rock that have broken off from larger asteroids or comets in the solar system, or the result of collisions with planets. There are three types: Meteoroids that are mostly made out of iron are called irons. Meteoroids that are mostly made out of rock are called stones. And meteoroids that are a fairly even mix are called stony irons.
Meteoroids larger than 1 meters are called asteroids. Meteoroids smaller than grain-size are called micrometeoroids or just space dust. Only between these sizes is the object officially a meteoroid.
