Meteors and Meteorites

A meteor is a “shooting star"; a bit of interplanetary ice or rock that vaporizes in Earth's upper atmosphere as a burst of incandescent gas. A meteorite is a space rock that strikes the surface of Earth. Most meteorites are classified as stony because of their mineral composition, which may include olivine, pyroxene, serpentine, sulfates, organic compounds, iron, and nickel. See our list of this year's meteor showers for more information.

Resources

 The Solar System: Minor Bodies: Remnants from the Beginning Whenever you build a new house, you always have...
The Solar System: Minor Bodies: Meteorites To the people of L'Aigle, France, it must have...

Radio Programs

 Space Rocks III In search of space rocks Friday, January 20, 2012
Space Rocks Rocks from beyond Earth Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Harvey Nininger II Buying space rocks for a dollar a pound Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Harvey Nininger A burning passion for space rocks Monday, January 16, 2012
Rock Hunting Scouring the ice for space rocks Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Dawn at Vesta III An asteroid with a difference Friday, July 15, 2011
More Moon and Mars Mars falls on an Egyptian village Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Geminid Meteors The meteoric fate of a meteor parent Monday, December 13, 2010
Leonid Meteors Enjoying an astronomical light show Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Moon and Jupiter Filling up the lunar "seas" Thursday, September 23, 2010
More Moon and Companions Picking up rocks from Mars Thursday, June 17, 2010
Space Weathering II Doing a little gardening on the Moon Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Space Weathering Digging into the lunar surface Monday, February 15, 2010
Lost City Meteorite Tracking a cosmic fireball Sunday, January 3, 2010
More Geminid Meteors A dark and showery night Sunday, December 13, 2009
Claxton Meteorite A space rock takes aim at Georgia Wednesday, December 9, 2009
More Leonid Meteors A good night for a meteor shower Monday, November 16, 2009
Leonid Meteors Dodging some celestial BBs Sunday, November 15, 2009
Moon and Mars A cushion for a falling rock Sunday, November 8, 2009
Asteroid 2008 TC3 Catching pieces of a falling star Friday, October 2, 2009
Orionid Meteors Fiery arrows from the hunter Sunday, October 19, 2008
Capistrano Meteorite Dropping in on Capistrano Saturday, March 15, 2008

Featured Images

 Glassmaker? Saturday, December 29, 2007

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