How are asteroids, comets and meteors different?

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• published: 18 Feb 2013
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Learn the difference between an asteroid, comet and meteor. Our dear planet Earth is the hotbed of cosmic activity this year. Let's recap some recent news - a meteor explodes over Russia, an asteroid barely missed crashing into Earth, and later this year, we will see a comet in the skies that will shine brighter than full Moon. Asteroids, Comets, Meteors - ever wonder the difference among those 3 celestial bodies? Asteroids are usually made from space debris like rock, although some are comprised of nickel or iron. The bodies range in size from a boulder to hundreds of miles in diameter. They orbit around the sun. Some asteroids have struck the Earth in the past, but most don't survive passing through our planet's atmosphere. Comets are essentially space's equivalent to snowballs. Unlike the asteroids that are mostly found in inner part of the solar system, comets begin their life outside the solar system. The cosmic balls consist of frozen gases, dust and rock. Measuring the size of a quaint town, comets' temperatures increase when their orbit brings them close to the sun, resulting in the spewing of gas and dust which creates a glowing head along with a tail that sprawls away from the sun for millions of miles. Meteors are mistakenly referred to as shooting stars, but they are actually comprised of dust grains or rocks. They are generally smaller than the Asteroids. When they get near Earth's gravitational pull, they are sucked into the atmosphere and descend downwards. They usually burn up before hitting the ground, but often let off a flash of light. Sometimes they are big enough to make it to Earth, and are then known as meteorites.