ETYM Cf. French météorite.
Stony or metallic object that is the remains of a meteoroid that has reached the earth's surface.
Piece of rock or metal from space that reaches the surface of the Earth, Moon, or other body. Most meteorites are thought to be fragments from asteroids, although some may be pieces from the heads of comets. Most are stony, although some are made of iron and a few have a mixed rock-iron composition. Meteorites provide evidence for the nature of the Solar System and may be similar to the Earth's core and mantle, neither of which can be observed directly.
Thousands of meteorites hit the Earth each year, but most fall in the sea or in remote areas and are never recovered. The largest known meteorite is one composed of iron, weighing 66 tons, which lies where it fell in prehistoric times at Grootfontein, Namibia.
Meteorites are slowed down by the Earth's atmosphere, but if they are moving fast enough they can form a crater on impact.
Meteor Crater in Arizona, about 1,200 m/4,000 ft in diameter and 200 m/650 ft deep, is the site of a meteorite impact about 50,000 years ago.