Meteoroids are tiny asteroids or bits of comets that become meteors when they burn up in a planet's atmosphere, and meteorites when they strike the surface intact.
Live Science tells you everything you need to know about these falling space rocks, with articles about how many meteorites hit Earth every year, guides on how to watch the Perseid meteor shower and other spectacular celestial events, and detailed coverage of meteoroid research, including studies of meteorites containing all of the building blocks of DNA, the world's first "boomerang meteorite" and the oldest evidence of a meteor hitting Earth. So, to become a space rock savant like our expert writers and editors, check out the latest meteoroid news, features and articles at Live Science.
Discover more about meteoroids
—What's the difference between asteroids, comets and meteors?
Latest about Meteoroids
'It was so simple': How Antarctica's missing meteorites were discovered using a block of ice, a freezer and a lamp
"What if the iron stones were warming up to the point where they would actually melt the glacial ice beneath them and sink into it, perhaps even descending far enough so as to be hidden below the surface?"
Quadrantid meteor shower: How to watch the first 'shooting stars' of 2025 rain over Earth tonight
The Quadrantids are the year's first shooting stars, peaking over North America between Jan. 3 and 4.
Meteor strikes on the moon! Astronomer captures possible Geminid lunar impacts
A Japanese astronomer captured several impacts on the moon during the Geminid meteor shower.
Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year
Here's everything you need to know to catch the Ursids, the last meteor shower of 2024.
The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight! How to see the year's last big display of 'shooting stars' before it's too late.
The Geminid meteor shower peaks overnight on Dec. 13 and 14. Up to 120 "shooting stars" per hour will rain down on Earth, but a near-full moon may hamper viewing.
Meteorite found in a drawer at university contains 700-million-year-old evidence of water on Mars
The Lafayette meteorite was discovered in a drawer at Purdue University in 1931, with no clear indication of how it got there. A new analysis of the rock reveals evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago.
Look for 'fireball' meteors over the US tonight as the North Taurid meteor shower peaks
The South Taurid and North Taurid meteor showers peak in early November. Here's everything you need to know about this month's doubleheader of shooting stars.
Most of Earth's meteorites may have come from the same 3 spots
Scientists say they've uncovered where the vast majority of Earth's meteorites came from.
