Ammon – The differences between meteors and meteors lie in their location and the factors that affect their behavior. Meteors and meteors are small objects that move in space. Meteors move in the atmosphere, while meteorites fall to the surface of the Earth when they do not burn up while crossing the atmosphere.
Meteors are comets or asteroids that enter the atmosphere at high speed, forming the fireball seen in the sky. Meteors form from the disintegration and burning of asteroids as they penetrate the atmosphere. These particles could be leftover solar system dust or asteroid debris.
As for meteorites, they are formed from the collision of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, where these asteroids break apart to form smaller blocks. If meteoroids enter the atmosphere and do not burn up, they are called meteorites when they reach the Earth’s surface.
In terms of size, meteors are very small, such as the size of a pebble or grain of sand, while meteorites can range in size from a small pebble to a huge rock capable of causing major damage if they fall to Earth.
The weight of a meteor is generally small, while the weight of meteorites varies from several grams to several tons, with the possibility of causing great damage to the Earth’s surface.
Meteors do not significantly affect the Earth because they break up in the atmosphere, but meteors can cause damage to the Earth’s crust depending on their size and type. In some rare cases, accidents can occur as a result of meteors colliding with the Earth, as happened in the Siberian incident in 1908.
In general, meteors appear as a beautiful phenomenon in the sky, while meteors can be more influential and dangerous on Earth if they occur in populated areas.