A meteorite is the portion of an object that survives passage through the atmosphere and lands on the ground. Most of the objects burn completely up before reaching the ground. However every meteor doesnвЂ™t produce a meteorite. Every meteorite started out as a meteor when it entered our atmosphere.

The object causing the meteor can be as small as a fleck of dust or as big as a mountain. A meteor is a phenomenon that occurs when a solid object makes contact with EarthвЂ™s atmosphere causing an exchange of ions resulting in a bright streak of light in the sky. A meteor is a streak in the sky and gets its name from the Greek word вЂњ meteorosвЂќ meaning something high in the sky. Meteorites are typically named for the town, post office or other geographical landmark nearest the recovery sight. A вЂњFindвЂќ is a recovered meteorite whose fall was not witnessed. Things reported to be struck by a meteorite fall are several houses, a barn, paved roads, a dog, a cow, a car, a mail box, a large machine, and a pot on a stove.ДЄ вЂњFallвЂќ is a recovered meteorite that was witnessed to fall.

Though it was probably pretty painful the injury was not life-threatening. More recent data sets transmitted by Mars Global Surveyor, Pathfinder and other scout missions also confirm the origin of the SNC meteorites.ДЄ woman was struck on the thigh by a stone meteorite that crashed through the roof of her home in Sylacauga, Alabama, USA. By late 1983 others showed that the isotopic concentrations of various noble gasses found in shergottioes (S) were consistent with the atmosphere of Mars as measured by the Viking landers. In early 1983 scientists reported that the meteorites in this group contained chemical, isotopic, and petrologic features consistent with available data collected by the Viking landers. This conclusion is now well accepted in the scientific community. Originally it was by a process of elimination they reasonably concluded that these meteorites must have originated on Mars. They are not only compositionally different from all other meteorites but they are also much younger (175 million to 1.3 billion years old compared to the average of other meteorites at ~4.5 billion years old). However, much evidence suggests that the origin of the HED group is the asteroid 4Vesta.ДЇor several years scientists were puzzled by the SNC group of meteorites.

So far only two parent bodies have been positively identified EarthвЂ™s moon and Mars. They once were moving along in space on a collision course with earth and survive entry into our atmosphere and the impact. Meteorites are bits of other planets, asteroid, or planetoids which are found on Earth. Are meteorites hot when they hit the earth?.Here are some common questions and answers regarding meteorites and tektites:

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