Falling Stars, Meteorites, and Other Interplanetary Dust
The terms "meteoroid," "meteor,"and "meteorite" look an awful lot alike. Sure enough, all three terms describe debris or rocks that have moved through outer space. So why use three terms when one would suffice? What is the difference?As it turns out, the difference between the terms "meteoroid," "meteor," and "meteorite" has to do with location. If you were an astronaut floating through outer space, for example, the huge rock hurtling past you at 25 miles per second would be called a meteoroid. Meteoroids are solid objects that move through interplanetary space; they are smaller than asteroids but larger than atomic particles. Meteoroids have not yet reached Earth’s atmosphere; thus, you’d probably have to be on a spacecraft to see one.Let’s say you see a sudden streak of light in the sky, which you might call a "shooting star" or "falling star." That is technically a meteor. Meteors are meteoroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere. Due to atmospheric pressure, the meteoroids become very hot and burn up, releasing a visible trail of gases.Least common of all is the meteorite. Whereas most meteoroids that enter Earth’s atmosphere burn up as meteors, a meteorite perseveres. It survives its passage through the atmosphere. Rather than disintegrating high in the sky, a meteorite collides with Earth, sometimes leaving a crater.
What is an antonymfor the word perseveresin the following sentence from the passage?Whereas most meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere burn up as meteors, a meteorite perseveres. A.yieldsB.explodesC.survivesD.continues
