What is the difference between a meteor, meteorite, and meteoroid?

1 Answer
Jan 6, 2015

A meteoroid is a small, or very small piece of material falling towards earth.
A meteor is the effect this has: a streak of light, sometimes called a falling star
A meteorite is what's left of it when it reaches the ground.

There are several types. The iron-nickel-type is most wanted by collectors, but most are stoney.