meteorite
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meteorite
A piece of rock or metal from outer space that has passed through Earth's atmosphere and reached the surface of the Earth. It is the solid remnant of a meteor that did not burn up completely.
Forscher haben in der Wüste einen mehrere Kilogramm schweren Meteoriten gefunden.
Researchers found a meteorite weighing several kilograms in the desert.
'Meteorit' (meteorite) is often the first part of compound nouns that refer to the event or consequences of an impact. Typical examples are 'der Meteoriteneinschlag' (meteorite impact) or 'der Meteoritenkrater' (meteorite crater).
Der Meteoriteneinschlag vor 66 Millionen Jahren führte zu einem Massensterben.
The meteorite impact 66 million years ago led to a mass extinction.
When describing the event of the impact, the verbs 'einschlagen' (to strike/impact) or 'niedergehen' (to come down/fall) are used. The location of the impact is often mentioned with a preposition such as 'in' or 'auf' (on).
Vor Tausenden von Jahren ist hier ein großer Meteorit eingeschlagen.
Thousands of years ago, a large meteorite struck here.
In connection with scientific investigation, the verbs 'finden' (to find), 'entdecken' (to discover), 'sammeln' (to collect), or 'analysieren' (to analyze) are often used.
Das Team hat einen seltenen Eisen-Meteoriten in der Antarktis gefunden.
The team found a rare iron meteorite in Antarctica.
asteroid
Both words refer to solid bodies of rock or metal from outer space. An „Asteroid“ remains in space as a celestial body and orbits the sun; a „Meteorit“, by contrast, has passed through Earth's atmosphere and reached the Earth's surface. So use „Asteroid“ for the body in space and „Meteorit“ for the one on the ground.
Der Meteorit wurde nach seinem Fall auf einem Feld gefunden.
The meteorite was found in a field after it fell.
Der Asteroid bewegt sich auf einer Bahn um die Sonne.
The asteroid is traveling in an orbit around the sun.
