Which term is for when it survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground?

Which term is for when it survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground?

• A. Meteorite
• B. Meteoroid
• C. Meteor
• D. Comet

Answer: (A)

The term for a rock that survives a trip through the atmosphere and lands on Earth is meteorite. In space, that object is called a meteoroid. When it plunges into the atmosphere, it lights up as a meteor—the bright streak you see across the sky. If it burns up entirely, nothing reaches the ground; if a fragment survives, the piece that lands is a meteorite. Comets are separate bodies made largely of ice and dust with their own tails, not the rocks that hit Earth as meteorites. Meteorites come in different types and studying them helps scientists learn about the early solar system.

The term for a rock that survives a trip through the atmosphere and lands on Earth is meteorite. In space, that object is called a meteoroid. When it plunges into the atmosphere, it lights up as a meteor—the bright streak you see across the sky. If it burns up entirely, nothing reaches the ground; if a fragment survives, the piece that lands is a meteorite. Comets are separate bodies made largely of ice and dust with their own tails, not the rocks that hit Earth as meteorites. Meteorites come in different types and studying them helps scientists learn about the early solar system.