meteorites

Cultural  

1. Objects from outside the Earth that enter the Earth's field of gravitation and fall to the Earth's surface. Meteors, on the other hand, are objects from space that burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

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Meteorites are bodies that are left over from the time when the planets formed, and therefore give us clues about the formation of the solar system.

Example Sentences

Their findings also connect these simulated objects to known groups of meteorites found on Earth.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

She said: "Based on the fireball trajectory, the event occurred over the North Sea so, sadly, we do not expect any recoverable meteorites."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

One is the powerful shock waves generated when meteorites slam into the planet's surface.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the Moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Eighteenth-century English and French scientists rejected the ample testimony as to the reality of meteorites, as we reject stories of alien abduction.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton