Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: fwdude

NASA says asteroids range from 33feet to 329 miles in diameter.

I believe a 3 feet diameter object is a meteor not an asteroid.


12 posted on 01/21/2024 1:17:47 PM PST by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: DannyTN

Rocks in outer space smaller than planets or moons are asteroids.

An asteroid on an orbit taking it near enough to the Sun so that it ignites and leaves a streaming trail is a comet. Comets are normally much larger than asteroids and seem to have a different point of origin than asteroids.

Rocks that hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up producing a long tail are meteors.

What doesn’t burn up and makes it to the surface of Earth is a meteorite.


21 posted on 01/21/2024 1:51:11 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

To: DannyTN

Before it was reclassified as a dwarf planet, Ceres was an asteroid 939 miles in diameter


34 posted on 01/21/2024 2:45:52 PM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

To: DannyTN

Exactly. I was wondering why they used “asteroid” instead of “meteor” in this article.


36 posted on 01/21/2024 4:55:57 PM PST by lefty-lie-spy (Stay Metal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson