Meteorite Impacts on Earth

Meteorites are rocks from space that survive their journey through Earth's atmosphere and land on the ground. Most meteorites come from asteroids, which are large rocks that orbit the Sun. When a piece of an asteroid breaks off and enters Earth's atmosphere, it is called a meteoroid. As it travels quickly through the air, the meteoroid heats up and glows, creating a bright streak in the sky called a meteor or "shooting star." If the object is big enough to survive the trip, it lands on Earth as a meteorite.

When a meteorite hits the ground, it can make a hole called a crater. The size of the crater depends on how big and fast the meteorite is. Some craters are only a few meters wide, while others can be several kilometers across. A famous example is the Barringer Crater in Arizona, which was made by a meteorite about 50,000 years ago. This crater is over a kilometer wide!

Meteorite impacts can change Earth's surface and affect living things. Small meteorites usually do not cause much harm, but large impacts can be dangerous. Scientists believe that a giant meteorite helped cause the extinction of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago by creating a huge crater and changing Earth's climate.

Most meteorites that reach Earth are small and burn up in the atmosphere, but scientists study the ones that make it to the ground. By examining meteorites, scientists learn about the history of our solar system and how planets are formed. Sometimes, people find meteorites and keep them as rare and valuable rocks.

Interesting Fact: The largest meteorite ever found on Earth is the Hoba meteorite in Namibia, Africa. It weighs about 60 tons!