Meteorite vs Asteroid: Space Rocks Explained

In 2013, a chunk of rock smashed into Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering windows across six cities and lighting up the winter sky. That rock started its journey as an asteroid-a giant lump of metal or stone, millions of kilometres away, orbiting the Sun mostly between Mars and Jupiter. But when an asteroid, or a part of it, breaks free and enters Earth’s atmosphere, it’s called a meteor. Swirling through the sky, burning up bright, only a small piece survives that fiery trip. If it lands on the ground, like the one in Chelyabinsk, it’s now a meteorite. Asteroids stay in space; meteorites are what you hold in your hand. Here’s how to remember: asteroid - always away; meteorite - made it to Earth. Next time you see a shooting star, you’ll know whether it’s just passing overhead, or might someday be a rock in someone’s pocket.