Asteroids and Meteors: What Is The Difference?

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When we were in Jamaica a few years ago, we were told that there was going to be a meteor shower one night, so a large group of us went to a beach that was suggested to us, that would be perfect for viewing the sky at night. We were not disappointed. It was a wonderful display of meteors streaking through the sky. So, I wanted to know more about meteors and, as usual, did some research, when I got home and wrote some things down in a notebook. ASTEROIDS are basically large rocky objects that circle around the Sun, just like the planets, but they are too small to be called planets. Astronomers have identified over 2000 “asteroids.” The orbit in which these objects travel is about 3 times farther than the Earth’s orbit, somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. This has come to be known as the ASTEROID BELT. Sometimes asteroids run into each other and pieces of the rock break off. These fragments sometimes reach the Earth. They streak through the sky and can be seen as bright fireballs called METEORS. If they actually HIT the Earth, they are called METEORITES and they form craters when they hit. So now, after reading my notes, I remember the difference between “asteroids,” “meteors,” and “meteorites.” It was a good reminder for me today. What do you think?