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A meteoroid (/ ˈ m iː t i ə r ɔɪ d / MEE-tee-ə-royd) [1] is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are distinguished as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wide. [2] Objects smaller than meteoroids are classified as micrometeoroids or space dust.
A "meteorite fall", also called an "observed fall", is a meteorite collected after its arrival was observed by people or automated devices. Any other meteorite is called a "meteorite find". [ 43 ] [ 44 ] There are more than 1,100 documented falls listed in widely used databases, [ 45 ] [ 46 ] [ 47 ] most of which have specimens in modern ...
In meteoritics, a meteorite classification system attempts to group similar meteorites and allows scientists to communicate with a standardized terminology when discussing them. Meteorites are classified according to a variety of characteristics, especially mineralogical , petrological , chemical , and isotopic properties.
The Winchcombe meteorite is a rare and pristine carbonaceous chondrite, and it likely holds clues about early Earth's composition—and where our water came from.
Iron meteorites, also called siderites or ferrous meteorites, are a type of meteorite that consist overwhelmingly of an iron–nickel alloy known as meteoric iron that usually consists of two mineral phases: kamacite and taenite. Most iron meteorites originate from cores of planetesimals, [3] with the exception of the IIE iron meteorite group. [4]
These studies show that some meteorite classes are closely related to some asteroids. The HED meteorites for example are correlated with 4 Vesta. [2] Another, perhaps most useful way to classify meteorites by parent bodies is by grouping them according to composition, with types from each hypothetical parent body clustering on a graph. [3]
The Winchcombe meteorite could also hold clues about where the water in the Earth’s vast oceans came from. ... “The composition of that water is very, very similar to the composition of water ...
Usually found on Earth's surface, micrometeorites differ from meteorites in that they are smaller in size, more abundant, and different in composition. The IAU officially defines meteoroids as 30 micrometers to 1 meter; micrometeorites are the small end of the range (~submillimeter). [1]