Difference Between Asteroid And Meteoroid

The main difference between asteroid and meteoroid is that the asteroid is a large rocky or metallic object that orbits around the Sun, which is small in size. A meteor is a small portion of rock or metal from a comet or an asteroid that burns up in the atmosphere.

What are Asteroids?

An asteroid is a small rocky body that is in the vicinity of the Sun. Although asteroids are smaller than a planet, they are larger than meteoroids.

The main asteroid belt is a region between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids in our solar system are found. There are other places around the solar system where they can hang out. Some asteroids pass by the Sun in a way that takes them close to Earth.

Because of their enormous size, asteroids exert a pull on the atmosphere. A few asteroids have one or two companion moons, and two similarly sized asteroids are circling each other, according to experts.

What are Meteoroids?

There are asteroids that can smash into each other. Small pieces of the asteroid can break off if this happens. Some of those pieces are called meteorites. There are comets that can also bring in meteorites.

A meteorite is a small rock made of metal in space. They are considerably smaller than asteroids, with sizes ranging from a millimeter to a meter in width. When meteorites enter the atmosphere of Earth, they will most likely never come to the surface.

A light trail is created when they burn during descent. Even though meteorites are harmless, they can cause problems, such as creating shock waves and exploding in the atmosphere.

Depending on the location, the difference between asteroids and meteoroids is different. There are asteroids that are found in space. When it enters the atmosphere, it is known as a meteorite, and when it hits the ground, it is called a meteoroid. There are rocks and minerals in both of them.

Difference Between Asteroid And Meteoroid

Asteroid	Meteoroid
Minor planets are known as asteroids and are similar to star-like planets.	The falling star is called a meteoroid.
It orbits around the sun and the shape of the orbit is elliptical.	It orbits the sun but also gets pulled by other larger bodies.
It is believed that it is a leftover planet.	It is a small part of an asteroid or comet.
It does not have an atmosphere.	It burns when entering a planet.
Its diameter is more than 100km	Its diameter is less than 10m.