Asteroid vs. Meteor: What's the Difference?
The difference is mostly about location and size. An asteroid is a rocky body orbiting the Sun in space; a meteor is the bright streak of light you see when a small piece enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up; and if any of it survives to hit the ground, that piece is a meteorite.
See the difference, explained visually.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson comparing asteroid and meteor.
At a glance
| Asteroid | Meteor | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Rocky body orbiting the Sun | Flash of light from a burning fragment |
| Where | In space | In Earth's atmosphere |
| Size | Meters to hundreds of km | Usually tiny — pebble to grain |
| Also called | Minor planet | A 'shooting star' |
| If it lands | Would be a major impact | The surviving rock is a 'meteorite' |
Which should you use?
Asteroid
Call it an asteroid while it's still in space orbiting the Sun — a solid rocky (or metallic) object, most of them in the belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Meteor
Call it a meteor for the brief streak of light as a fragment burns up in the sky. The leftover rock that reaches the ground gets a third name: a meteorite.
Frequently asked questions
- So what's a meteoroid?
- A meteoroid is the small rock itself while still in space — smaller than an asteroid. When it enters the atmosphere and glows, that light is the meteor; what lands is the meteorite.
- Are shooting stars actually stars?
- No. A 'shooting star' is a meteor — a tiny fragment burning up from friction with the air, often no bigger than a grain of sand. Real stars are enormous and far away.
- Where do meteors come from?
- Many come from debris left by comets; meteor showers happen when Earth passes through a comet's old trail. Others are chips off asteroids.