The meteorite on the right fell in Nambia, Africa. It weighs about 59 tonnes. Meteorites often form craters on the Moon and some of the planet like Mercury. On Earth most craters have been worn away by wind and rain, but some very large ones remain.
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| Meteor & Meteorites | |||||||||||||||
| What is meteor ? | |||||||||||||||
| Planets and moons are not the only solid objects in the Solar System. There are many tiny bits of rock flying through space. Thousands of them hit the Earth's atmosphere every day. They burn up as they fall, forming a streak of light. They are called meteors, or shooting stars. If Earth's orbit passes through a belt of these rocks, meteors will fall in showers. | |||||||||||||||
| What is meteorites ? | |||||||||||||||
| Some space rocks are very large. When they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they do not burn up. They crash into the Earth's surface. They are called meteorites. The meteorite on the right fell in Nambia, Africa. It weighs about 59 tonnes. Meteorites often form craters on the Moon and some of the planet like Mercury. On Earth most craters have been worn away by wind and rain, but some very large ones remain. |
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