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eteors, asteroids, meteorites … what’ s the difference? Meteors, asteroids, meteorites and meteoroids are all names for space rocks. The rocks have different names depending on their location, whether they are hurtling through space or zooming through the atmosphere and hitting the Earth’ s surface.

Read each description and label each item on the chart at left.

Asteroids are large rocks in space that orbit the sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt.

When two asteroids collide, the particles that break off are called meteoroids.

A meteoroid that enters Earth’ s atmosphere begins to vaporize, becoming a meteor.

If a meteor survives its flaming trip through our atmosphere and lands on Earth’ s surface, it is called a meteorite.

Our solar system is made up of planets revolving around a sun. Strangely, between the planets Mars and Jupiter, there is a gap large enough for another planet, but there is not a planet there.

Instead there are millions of asteroids— small and large rocks that scientists believe are the leftover rocks from when the solar system formed. This zone is called the asteroid belt.

Jupiter

Mars

sun

Earth

Asteroid Belt

Official Kids Mag www. kidscoop. com © Vicki Whiting September 2025