A meteorite is an extraterrestrial body that survives its impact with the Earth's surface without being destroyed. While in space it is called a meteoroid. When it enters the atmosphere, air resistance causes the body to heat up and emit light, thus forming a fireball, also known as a meteor or shooting star. The term bolide refers to either an extraterrestrial body that collides with the Earth, or to an exceptionally bright, fireball-like meteor regardless of whether it ultimately impacts the surface.

More generally, a meteorite on the surface of any celestial body is an object that has come from elsewhere in space. Meteorites have been found on the Moon and Mars.

Meteorites that are recovered after being observed as they transitted the atmosphere or impacted the Earth are called falls. All other meteorites are known as finds. As of mid-2006, there are approximately 1050 witnessed falls having specimens in the world's collections. In contrast, there are over 31,000 well-documented meteorite findsMeteoritical Bulletin Database.

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fri 6-11First Fridays at the Castle Open Night Michael O Connell #IFAS http://www.bco.ie/firstfridays/index.html #meteorites#shooting stars
blackrockcastle (Blackrock Castle ) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:22:14 -0000
fri 6-11First Fridays at the Castle Open Night Michael O Connell #IFAS http://www.bco.ie/firstfridays/index.html #meteorites#shooting stars
Guerlain Les Meteorites Powder http://tinyurl.com/llllhc
Athena_M_Minna (Athena_M_Minna) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:26:42 -0000
Guerlain Les Meteorites Powder http://tinyurl.com/llllhc
@seba_32 : look out for meteorites! Speeding stagecoaches! A rampaging #IraGlass
jayarrigo (Jay Arrigo) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:16:02 -0000
@seba_32 : look out for meteorites! Speeding stagecoaches! A rampaging #IraGlass
meteorites hit my house last night, broke my fish tank, pancaked my wife. ♥
shadowxgrip (Beth ) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:44:13 -0000
meteorites hit my house last night, broke my fish tank, pancaked my wife. ♥
@rubenmarquez my favorite is how he spent on meteorites and shrunken heads
haroldjlee (Harold Lee) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:49:35 -0000
@rubenmarquez my favorite is how he spent on meteorites and shrunken heads
Meteorites are falling!! http://bit.ly/19aHWg
beadifulbaubles (beadifulbaubles) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:19:40 -0000
Meteorites are falling!! http://bit.ly/19aHWg

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