[1] A meteorite is a rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and …

Dec 22, 2025 · Meteorite, any fairly small natural object from interplanetary space—i.e., a meteoroid—that survives its passage through Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the surface. In …

Jul 31, 2025 · The Allan Hills 84001 meteorite from Antarctica is the second-oldest Martian meteorite in the Museum's collections (4.1 billion years old) and is known as the “life on Mars” meteorite. In 1996 …

Jul 17, 2025 · Scientists estimate that about 48.5 tons (44 tonnes or 44,000 kilograms) of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day. Almost all the material is vaporized in Earth's atmosphere, leaving a …

There are several different types of meteorites! Learn about them in this article by Geoffrey Notkin, meteorite hunter.

Apr 4, 2024 · The best-preserved impact crater in the world is the Barringer Meteorite Crater, near the U.S. town of Winslow, Arizona. There, more than 50,000 years ago, a meteorite weighing about …

There are three main groups of meteorite: iron meteorites, stony-iron meteorites and stony meteorites. They differ in their amount of iron-nickel metal they contain and what they reveal about the early …

Learn more about meteorite locations, and where meteorites are found, here! How do we know whether a meteorite is a new, distinct meteorite or part of an older find? Detailed microscopic, chemical and …

In simplest terms, a meteorite is a rock that falls to Earth from space. Meteorites are rocks, but they are not like Earth rocks. Most are far older, and they provide some of the only samples we have of other …

When a piece falls towards Earth, the friction with our atmosphere heats it up, making it glow and often burning most of it away. This glowing streak of light is called a meteor, or "shooting star." However, …