Introduction
The solar system is teeming with much smaller objects tan comets and asteroids. These pieces of debris are called meteoroids and at first sight seem to be little more than lifeless lumps of rocks. However, when meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere, they become something much more beautiful - shooting stars. Many fall to the ground. If you find one, you can have your very own piece of space!
Which is which?
Meteoroids are made up of rock or dust. They are mainly fragments of asteroids or comets that have been chipped or blown apart by a collision. These meteoroids travel through space and occasionally fly into Earth's atmosphere. When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it burns up and begins to glow, becoming a meteor, better known as a shooting star. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before they hit the ground. Those that survive the trip and make it to Earth's surface intact are called meteoroids. Meteoroids are usually made from rock and iron.
Meteors
Many meteors are formed from material lost by comets as they travel close to Sun. A comet will lose material because of the force of the solar wind. These pieces of rock and dust are left in the comet's orbit, accumulating over many hundreds of years to form a trail of debris. If Earth passes through one of these trails, a shower of meteors appear. In fact, dozens of shooting stars can be seen every night around our planet. However, when Earth passes through one of these trails, a shower of meteors appear. In fact, dozens of shooting stars can be seen every night around our planet. However, when Earth passes through a meteoroid stream, thousands can be seen in short space of time
(click here to get the image)
Meteoroids
Each year Earth puts on nearly 10,000 tonnes in weight due to meteoroids entering the atmosphere. When a meteoroid is too large to burn up in the atmosphere, it collides with the Earth's surface. Around 3,000 rocks fall onto Earth each year. Most falls into the sea and will never be found, but some crash into gardens and houses. In 1992, an empty car was flattened by a falling meteorite, but thankfully the chances of being hit by one are very remote!
Some important facts
1) Meteor showers can be predicted quite accurately because Earth passes through the meteor streams at roughly the same time each year.
2) Large meteoroids leave enormous craters in the ground. The best preserved of these is the Barringer Crater in Arizona, USA , which was probably formed 30,000 years ago.
3) Scientists have discovered that many meteorites have come from the moon and Mars. These may have been thrust into space by enormous collisions.
(click here to get the image)
Facts and Figures
Yearly meteor shower:
Quadrantids: Bootes Constellation 1-6 Jan
April lyrids : Lyra Constellations 19-24 April
Delta aquarids : Aquarius Constellation 15 July- 15 Aug
Perseids : Perseus constellation 25 July- 18 Aug
Taurids : Taurus Constellation 20 Oct- 30 Nov
Leonids : Leo constellation 7-15 Dec
The solar system is teeming with much smaller objects tan comets and asteroids. These pieces of debris are called meteoroids and at first sight seem to be little more than lifeless lumps of rocks. However, when meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere, they become something much more beautiful - shooting stars. Many fall to the ground. If you find one, you can have your very own piece of space!
Which is which?
Meteoroids are made up of rock or dust. They are mainly fragments of asteroids or comets that have been chipped or blown apart by a collision. These meteoroids travel through space and occasionally fly into Earth's atmosphere. When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it burns up and begins to glow, becoming a meteor, better known as a shooting star. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere before they hit the ground. Those that survive the trip and make it to Earth's surface intact are called meteoroids. Meteoroids are usually made from rock and iron.
Meteors
Many meteors are formed from material lost by comets as they travel close to Sun. A comet will lose material because of the force of the solar wind. These pieces of rock and dust are left in the comet's orbit, accumulating over many hundreds of years to form a trail of debris. If Earth passes through one of these trails, a shower of meteors appear. In fact, dozens of shooting stars can be seen every night around our planet. However, when Earth passes through one of these trails, a shower of meteors appear. In fact, dozens of shooting stars can be seen every night around our planet. However, when Earth passes through a meteoroid stream, thousands can be seen in short space of time
Meteoroids
Each year Earth puts on nearly 10,000 tonnes in weight due to meteoroids entering the atmosphere. When a meteoroid is too large to burn up in the atmosphere, it collides with the Earth's surface. Around 3,000 rocks fall onto Earth each year. Most falls into the sea and will never be found, but some crash into gardens and houses. In 1992, an empty car was flattened by a falling meteorite, but thankfully the chances of being hit by one are very remote!
Some important facts
1) Meteor showers can be predicted quite accurately because Earth passes through the meteor streams at roughly the same time each year.
2) Large meteoroids leave enormous craters in the ground. The best preserved of these is the Barringer Crater in Arizona, USA , which was probably formed 30,000 years ago.
3) Scientists have discovered that many meteorites have come from the moon and Mars. These may have been thrust into space by enormous collisions.
Facts and Figures
Yearly meteor shower:
Quadrantids: Bootes Constellation 1-6 Jan
April lyrids : Lyra Constellations 19-24 April
Delta aquarids : Aquarius Constellation 15 July- 15 Aug
Perseids : Perseus constellation 25 July- 18 Aug
Taurids : Taurus Constellation 20 Oct- 30 Nov
Leonids : Leo constellation 7-15 Dec
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