(meteorobs) Definition of a meteor (was Re: Fifth grade science book)

[joseph_town at att.net]

Non existent? Meteorlimbo?

Bill


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: GeoZay at aol.com
>  
> 
> >>'meteorite' - a piece of solar system material that survives  high-speed 
> entry
> through earth's atmosphere, to actually reach earth's  surface. May survive
> whole, or it may reach the surface as fragments; may hit  ocean or dry land.
> Meteorites (impacts) are much rarer than meteors (flashes  of light).
> 
> 'meteoroid' - a piece of solar system material, orbiting the  sun. May be a
> "left-over" from the formation of the solar system, or a piece  of debris
> sloughed off by a comet (most common), or resulting from impact of  solar 
> system
> bodies with each other (rare). If it happens to intersect with  Earth's orbit
> and enter our atmosphere, it will produce a 'meteor'. It may  also 
> OCCASIONALLY
> produce a 'meteorite' - if it is large enough, dense  enough, and slow enough.
> Meteoroids range in size from microscopic, to many  meters (yards) across. A
> really LARGE (>100m), rocky 'meteoroid' is also  known as an 'asteroid'. A
> really TINY (<1mm or so) particle is called a  'micrometeoroid'.<<
>  
> What is the object called after a meteoroid has gone thru the meteor phase  
> and is into the dark phase of flight...and has yet to hit the ground? :O)
> George Zay
> 
> 
> 
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