Meteorites, meteors and asteroids
Natural objects which fall to Earth from space are called meteorites. The trail they blaze across the sky is called a meteor. Scientists study meteorites for clues to the formation of the solar system and the origins of life itself. Sometimes meteor sightings are found to be space junk once scientists investigate.
Meteorites
A natural object from space that hits the surface of the Earth or other planetary body
Source "meteorite" A Dictionary of Astronomy. Ed. Ian Ridpath. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
- Articles about Meteorites at Ebscohost
- Meteorites at Wikipedia
- Meteorite holds hints of solar system formation from Proquest Science Journals
- Nasa scientist’s ‘alien life’ claim put under the microscope - New Zealand Herald 7 March 2011.
Asteroids
Any of the many small rocky or metallic objects in the Solar System, mostly lying in a zone (the asteroid belt) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; also known as a minor planet. Source "asteroid" A Dictionary of Astronomy. Ed. Ian Ridpath. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
Asteroids like meteors give us clues to the formation of the solar system and from time to time smaller asteroids pass near enough to earth to be viewed. NASA’s Dawn mission to the asteroid belt has reached Vesta which it will orbit and explore before going on to explore the dwarf planet Ceres.
- NASA spacecraft is orbiting massive asteroid TVNZ 19 July 2011.
- Dawn probe
- Dawn at Vesta
- Near Earth Object Programme
Space Junk
'Space junk' or 'space debris' is any artificial rubbish orbiting the Earth. This could be anything from jettisoned rocket stages or satellite fragments down to loosened paint chips. There may be over a million pieces of space junk currently orbiting the Earth. However, all but 9,000 of these are smaller than a tennis ball.
- Wikipedia - Space Junk
- Orbital Objects; Satellites & Space Junk from National Geographic
Meteorites in New Zealand
A big boom was heard and felt across the South Island, from Invercargill to Blenheim, approximately 2.55pm on Tuesday 12 September 2006. Initially it was thought to be the result of space junk entering the atmosphere but later experts decided that it was actually caused by a meteorite.
