Asteroid vs Meteor vs Comet

Despite common misconceptions, these space phenomena are different from each other. An asteroid is a small solar system body in orbit around the Sun, which are sometimes referred to or classed as minor planets. A meteoroid, however, is a sand-to-boulder-sized particle of debris drifting through space in orbit around the Sun or other bodies.

They are smaller than asteroids and tend to travel at higher speeds; their composition ranging from iron to ice. Crucially, though, meteoroids differ from meteors and meteorites, although they are all part of the same body. A meteor is the visible streak of light that occurs when a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, while a meteorite is the remaining part of the meteoroid that impacts Earth.

Finally, comets are ice-based small solar system bodies that when close to the Sun display a visible coma (a nebulous temporary atmosphere) and tail of ice, dust and rock particles. Comets, unlike asteroids, generally originate in the outer solar system.