Question

Which shows a comet, meteorite, and meteor in order from smallest to largest?

Answer 1

In order from smallest to largest:

1. Meteor: A meteor refers to the streak of light produced when a small piece of rocky or metallic material enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up due to friction. It is typically very small, ranging from the size of a grain of sand to a few meters in diameter.

2. Meteorite: A meteorite is a solid object that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on Earth's surface. It originates from a meteoroid (a smaller object in space) that has managed to survive the atmospheric entry. Meteorites can range in size from small pebbles to massive boulders weighing several tons.

3. Comet: A comet is a celestial object consisting of a nucleus (a solid icy core) surrounded by a coma (a diffuse cloud of gas and dust) and frequently exhibiting a tail when close to the Sun. Comets are much larger than meteors and meteorites, with a nucleus typically measuring a few kilometers in diameter.