Space Rocks 101: What You Need To Know About Russia's Meteor
It's A Bird! It's A Plane! Screenshot via YouTubeConfused about the difference between a meteorite and a killer asteroid? We've got you covered. As updates roll in from Russia and the meteorite-related injury toll rises, you may be scrambling to remember what a meteorite really is. If you're a little rusty on your astronomy, here's some basic info about space rocks and why this one was unusual. What is the difference between all these space rocks? Asteroid: Any number of celestial bodies smaller than a planet that orbit the sun, between a few kilometers and a few hundred kilometers in diameter. Comet: An icy body that orbits the sun, like an asteroid, that features a "coma," a thin, temporary atmosphere of gas and dust, and a tail. Meteor: The glowing streak in the sky we see when an object from space enters the atmosphere and heats up. Meteoroid: Small...