Let's talk about how the meteor differs from the meteorite in order to learn the mystery and originality of the starry sky. People trust the stars with their most cherished desires, but we will talk about other celestial bodies.
Meteor features
The concept of “meteor” is associated with phenomena occurring in the Earth’s atmosphere, in which foreign bodies invade it with considerable speed. Particles are so small that they quickly collapse under the action of friction.
Do meteors hit the surface of the earth ? The description of these celestial bodies proposed by astronomers is limited to indicating a short-term luminous streak of light in the starry sky. Scientists call them "shooting stars."
Characteristics of meteorites
A meteorite is the remnants of a meteoroid that hits the surface of our planet. Depending on the composition, there is a division of these celestial bodies into three types: stone, iron, iron-stone.
Differences between celestial bodies
How is a meteor different from a meteorite? This question has long remained a mystery to astronomers, a reason for conducting observations and research.
Meteors after invading the earth's atmosphere lose their mass. Before the combustion process, the mass of this celestial object does not exceed ten grams. This value is so insignificant in comparison with the size of the Earth that there will be no consequences from the fall of the meteor.
Meteorites falling on our planet have significant weight. The Chelyabinsk meteorite, which fell to the surface on February 15, 2013, according to experts, had a weight of about ten tons.
The diameter of this celestial body was 17 meters, the speed of movement exceeded 18 km / s. The Chelyabinsk meteorite began to explode at an altitude of about twenty kilometers, and the total duration of its flight did not exceed forty seconds. The power of the explosion was thirty times higher than the bomb explosion in Hiroshima, resulting in numerous pieces and debris that fell on Chelyabinsk land. So, arguing over how a meteor differs from a meteorite, first of all, we note their mass.
The largest meteorite was the object discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century in Namibia. Its weight was sixty tons.
Fall frequency
How is a meteor different from a meteorite? We continue the conversation about the differences between these celestial bodies. In the Earth’s atmosphere, only hundreds of millions of meteors flare up during the day. In case of clear weather, about 5-10 “shooting stars”, which are actually meteors, can be observed in an hour.
Meteorites also quite often fall on our planet, but most of them burn up during the journey. In a day, several hundred of such celestial bodies hit the surface of the earth. Due to the fact that most of them land in the desert, seas, oceans, they are not discovered by researchers. Scientists in a year manage to study only a small number of these celestial bodies (up to five). Answering the question about what meteors and meteorites have in common, their composition can be noted.
Danger of falling
Small particles that make up the meteoroid can cause serious harm. They render the surface of spacecraft unusable, and can disable the operation of their energy systems.
It is difficult to assess the real danger that meteorites carry. After their fall, a huge amount of “scars” and “wounds” remain on the surface of the planet. If such a celestial body is large, after its impact on the Earth, an axis shift is possible, which will negatively affect the climate.
In order to fully appreciate the full extent of the problem, we can give an example of the fall of the Tunguska meteorite. He fell into the taiga, causing serious damage to the territory of several thousand square kilometers. If this territory were inhabited by people, we could talk about a real disaster.
A meteor is a light phenomenon that is often observed in the starry sky. Translated from the Greek language, this word means "heavenly." A meteorite is a solid having a cosmic origin. Translated into Russian, this term sounds like "a stone from the sky."
Scientific research
In order to understand how comets differ from meteorites and meteors, we analyze the results of scientific research. Astronomers managed to find out that after a meteor hits the earth's atmosphere, they flash. During the combustion process, a luminous trail consisting of ionized gas remains . Particles of the meteor fade away at about seventy kilometers above the earth's surface. The comet leaves a “tail” in the starry sky. Its core is the core, which includes dust and ice. In addition, the following substances can be located in the comet: carbon dioxide, ammonia, organic impurities. The dust tail that it leaves during its movement consists of particles of gaseous substances.
Once in the upper atmosphere of the Earth, fragments of destroyed cosmic bodies or dust particles heat up from friction and flash. The smallest of them immediately burn out, and the larger ones, continuing to fall, leave behind a luminous trail of ionized gas. They go out, reaching a distance of about seventy kilometers from the surface of the earth.
The duration of the outbreak is determined by the mass of this celestial body. In the case of the combustion of large meteors, you can admire the bright flashes for several minutes. It is this process that astronomers call stellar rain. In the case of a meteor shower, about one hundred burning meteors can be seen in one hour. If the celestial body is large, in the process of moving through the dense earthly atmosphere, it does not burn out and falls on the surface of the planet. Not more than ten percent of the initial weight of the meteorite reaches the Earth.
The composition of iron meteorites contains a significant amount of nickel and iron. The basis of stone celestial bodies are silicates: olivine and pyroxene. Iron-stone bodies have almost equal amounts of silicates and nickel iron.
Conclusion
People at all times of their existence have tried to study celestial bodies. They compiled calendars according to the stars, determined weather conditions, tried to predict fate, felt fear of the starry sky.
After the appearance of various types of telescopes, astronomers managed to solve many secrets and mysteries of the starry sky. Comets, meteors, meteorites were studied in detail, the main distinguishing and similar features between these celestial bodies were determined. For example, the largest meteorite that hit the surface of the earth was the iron Goba. His scientists found in South America, its weight was about sixty tons. The most famous in the solar system is Comet Halley. It is she who is associated with the discovery of the law of universal gravitation.