Meteorites Details

 

Meteorites

A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and impacts the surface of the Earth. Meteorites have been known to humanity since ancient times and have been the subject of fascination and study for centuries.

There are three main types of meteorites: stony, iron, and stony-iron. Stony meteorites are the most common type and are composed mainly of silicate minerals. Iron meteorites are composed mainly of metallic iron and nickel, while stony-iron meteorites are composed of a mixture of silicate minerals and metallic iron.

Meteorites are important to scientists because they provide information about the early solar system, the formation of planets, and the composition of asteroids and comets. Scientists have used meteorites to study the age of the solar system, the composition of the Earth's core, and the possibility of life on other planets.