Asteroid?

[Gareth56]

Why is it that when an meteoroid reaches the Earth it's called a meteorite but when an asteroid reaches the Earth it's still called an asteroid?

[tomgwyther]

Asteroids orbit around the sun as planets do.

Meteoroid, is incoming space debris

Meteorite, refers to something which is found on the ground

meteorite: rocklike object consisting of the remains of a meteoroid that has fallen on earth. It may be stony (see chondrite), iron, or stony iron (see pallasite)

[Gareth56]

So when we hear of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs that is incorrect and it was in reality a very large meteorite? Likewise whenever we hear of any future asteroid impacts they should be called meteoroid impacts.

 

Uni Today

[tomgwyther]

Apologies for the late reply.

An asteroid can become a meteor.

An asteroid can on occasion leave the asteroid belt, Sometimes due to it synchronising its orbit with Jupiter; sending it on an elliptical, Earth crossing orbit.

Also - as far as I'm aware - the term 'asteroid' refers to particularly large space debris.

So the phrase "An asteroid hitting the Earth" is still somewhat accurate.

[Airbrush]

According to Wiki, the distinction between meteoroid and asteroid is SIZE. Meteoroids are small, from a grain of sand up to 10 meters in diameter. Asteroids are larger.

 

"...The Royal Astronomical Society has proposed a new definition where a meteoroid is between 100 µm and 10 m across. The NEO definition includes larger objects, up to 50 m in diameter, in this category...."

 

What I think is interesting about meteoroids is how fast they may be moving and at what speeds they can impact Earth, especially when going the wrong way:

 

"Meteoroids travel around the sun in a variety of orbits and at various velocities. The fastest ones move at about 26 miles per second through space in the vicinity of Earth's orbit. The earth travels at about 18 miles per second. Thus, when meteoroids meet the Earth's atmosphere head-on (which would only occur if the meteor were in a retrograde orbit), the combined speed may reach about 44 miles per second."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor#Meteor

 

WHEN IN DOUBT, WIKI IT OUT.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Airbrush

[Law]

i think an asteroid is a large meteor...a metorite is whats left after a meteor hits the earth...no?

[Gareth56]

So to sum up then.

 

When a meteoroid hits the Earth it becomes a meteorite however when an asteroid hits the Earth is remains and asteroid and the suffix 'oid' remains.

 

I suppose who's going to argue with an asteroid!!!

Edited April 6, 2010 by Gareth56