ACM - Meteors and Meteorites LESSON
Meteors and Meteorites
Little chunks of rock and debris in space are called meteoroids. They become meteors when they fall through a planet's atmosphere. This causes a bright trail as they are heated by friction from the atmosphere. This is why they are sometimes called "shooting stars". Meteors that survive the journey and hit the ground are called meteorites.
Go through the timeline below to learn more about asteriods.
| Major Meteor Streams |
Peak Night (may vary by +/-1 day) |
Time to Watch* (24 hour clock) |
Maximum Rate ** (per hour) |
Parent Body (Asteroid or Comet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quadrantids |
January 3-4 |
23:00 to dawn |
60-200 |
(196256) 2003 EH1 |
|
Lyrids |
April 21-22 |
21:30 to dawn |
10-15 typical |
Comet C/1861 G1 |
|
Eta Aquarids |
May 5-6 |
01:30 to dawn |
40-85 |
Comet 1P/Halley |
|
Delta Aquarids |
July 27-28 |
21:30 to dawn |
15-20 |
Unknown sungrazing comet |
|
Perseids |
August 11-12 |
dusk to dawn |
60-100 |
Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle |
|
Orionids |
October 20-21 |
22:00 to dawn |
25 |
Comet 1P/Halley |
|
Leonids |
November 17-18 |
23:30 to dawn |
10-15 |
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle |
|
Geminids |
December 13-14 |
19:00 to dawn |
60-120 |
(3200) Phaethon |
- For observers in the northern hemisphere
** Under perfect conditions
Meteorites can be very small and unnoticeable on Earth or larger and leave large craters. The images below show you a size comparison.
| Henbury Meteorite | Hoba Meteorite |
|---|---|
Impact Craters
Impact craters are created from meteorites hitting Earth. Some meteorites are so small, that they leave very little evidence that they hit the ground. However, some are so large that they have become national parks! Check out some of the most famous ones below!
| Crater Name | Impact Date | Location | Information |
|
Vredefort Crater |
Estimated 2 billion years ago |
South Africa |
Estimated radius: 118 miles UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sudbury Basin |
Estimated 1.8 billion years ago |
Ontario, Canada |
Estimated diameter 81 miles |
|
Acraman Crater |
Estimated 580 million years ago |
South Australia |
Present day location of Lake Acraman Estimated diameter of 56 miles |
|
Woodleigh Crater |
Estimated 364 million years ago |
Western Australia |
Not viewable from the surface Estimated diameter 25 miles |
|
Manicouagan Crater |
Estimated 215 million years ago |
Quebec, Canada |
Present day Lake Manicouagan Estimated diameter 62 miles |
|
Morokweng Crater |
Estimated 145 million years ago |
North West, South Africa |
Located near Kalahari Desert and contains fossilized meteorite fragments |
|
Kara Crater |
Estimated 70.3 million years ago |
Nenetsia, Russia |
Heavily eroded |
|
Chicxulub Crater |
Estimated 65 million years ago |
Yucatán, Mexico |
Thought to have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs Estimated diameter 186 miles |
|
Popigai Crater |
Estimated 35.7 million years ago |
Siberia, Russia |
Contains trillions of carats of diamonds Known as impact diamonds |
|
Chesapeake Bay Crater |
Estimated 35 million years ago |
Virginia, United States |
Discovered in 1980's Estimated diameter 53 miles |
Here is an image showing where the Chesapeake Bay Crater is located!
Review
Use the review simulation below to help you study for the upcoming module test.
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