Size

• Meteorites vary widely in size, the average ranging from a couple of inches to a couple of feet long. Meteorites are always smaller than meteors because only a piece of the space rock remains after its trip through the Earth's atmosphere.
  
  

Features

• Meteorites are classified as iron, stony or a mix of both. They are irregularly shaped but rather smooth. Iron meteorites might have an ashy coating. Stony meteorites are easy to confuse with basalt, but their heaviness can help to identify them. Meteors are larger and rougher in texture than meteorites.
  
  

Different Uses

• The National Weather Service and other organizations use the debris from meteors in long-range radio communication. Meteors are also credited with adding carbon dioxide and water vapor into Earth's early atmosphere. Meteorites can be mined for nickel and iron.
  
  

Misconceptions

• A meteoroid is the grandparent to the meteorite and the parent to a meteor. A space rock travels into Earth's orbit and enters the atmosphere. As soon as it begins to heat up, it is a meteor. Once it hits the ground, it becomes a meteorite.
  
  

Time Frame

• Meteors only exist for the time it takes them to pass through the atmosphere and strike Earth or disintegrate. Meteorites can be millions, if not billions, of years old.