Chapter 4

Meteors, Meteorites, & Meteoroids

Dirk C. Gibson

Abstract

Known by a variety of names, depending upon their relationship to our planet, meteors are much like asteroids in some respects. They are naturally-occurring solid orbital space objects of great consequence to the Earth. Meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids were defined and differentiated, with their interrelationships explained. The amount of meteoroid material deposited daily on the Earth was quantified, as was the number of meteoroid strikes annually. The number of known meteors was estimated, and the number of meteor craters documented. Meteoroid strikes on buildings were examined and dangers posed by meteors to space travelers discussed. The 2013 case of a meteoroid exploding above Chelabyinsk, Russia, was documented. Recent reanalysis of meteoroid risk analysis data revealed that the danger of a meteoroid strike has been underestimated by a factor of four or five times.

Total Pages: 30-39 (10)

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