[GeronL]

When the rock hits the ground its a meteorite

[Andrei Bulba]

Definitely upon impact it is a meteorite. In the atmosphere a meteor in all cases? Michael Medved spent a lot of time mocking people who thought it was an “asteroid” and saying it was just a meteor. He is a little arrogant and apparently he was wrong. However I’m not clear on space rocks in the solar system which are not asteroids since asteroids definitely pass and hit earth and are not limited to the area between Mars/ Jupiter.

I remember the amateur astronomer who has discovered many of these (Levy?) Saying from his observations over a lifetime, he believes it is most likely a fairly big one will slip into the atmosphere before it ever is detected.

[John Valentine]

When the rock hits the ground its a meteorite And when this "asteroid" hit Earth's atmosphere, it became, by definition, a meteor, NASA goofusses notwithstanding.