Small Solar System Bodies: Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors
While the Sun and the eight major planets dominate the solar system, the vast spaces between them are not empty. They are filled with billions of smaller celestial bodies—asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. These objects are scientifically invaluable because they are the pristine, leftover building blocks from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
Distinguishing Space Rocks:
The terms meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite are often confused. The correct scientific term depends entirely on exactly where the rock is located at that moment.
Term | Scientific Definition and Location |
Asteroid | A large rocky or metallic body permanently orbiting the Sun in space (mostly in the Asteroid Belt). |
Comet | An icy body orbiting the Sun that develops a glowing coma and tails when heated. |
Meteoroid | A small fragment of rock or metal traveling freely through deep space (usually broken off from an asteroid or comet). |
Meteor | The glowing streak of light created when a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up due to extreme friction. (Commonly known as a “shooting star”). |
Meteorite | The physical rock that survives the fiery journey through the atmosphere and successfully lands on the surface of the Earth. |
