Meteorites are solid fragments of a meteoroid (originated from asteroids, planets or comets), which enter the Earth's atmosphere, glow by friction with the air and reach the Earth. They vary in size, some of which disintegrate and reach the Earth's surface in the form of dust, but they can also be up to meters in diameter.
For a meteorite to reach Earth, other phenomena must occur. The first is the meteoroid, which is made up of solid particles from asteroids, planets or comets that have moved from their orbit through interactions with the Earth. After this phenomenon, these particles penetrate the atmosphere, a fact that generates a light show called meteor. Only with the arrival of these particles on the Earth's surface do we have the meteorite.
According to their composition, meteorites are classified as aerolite (rocky), siderite (metallic) or siderolite (metallic-rocky). Usually, they are formed by minerals and ferronickel alloy, giving resistance to fire due to friction caused with the atmosphere.
Several meteorites reach the Earth's surface, but most arrive in the form of dust after disintegrating in the atmosphere. However, some manage to break through the atmosphere and reach the Earth with considerable dimensions, such as, for example, the meteorite that was found in Namibia, which weighs approximately 59 tons, is 2.7 meters long and 2.4 meters long. width.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team