Meteoroids are tiny asteroids or bits of comets that become meteors when they burn up in a planet's atmosphere, and meteorites when they strike the surface intact.
Live Science tells you everything you need to know about these falling space rocks, with articles about how many meteorites hit Earth every year, guides on how to watch the Perseid meteor shower and other spectacular celestial events, and detailed coverage of meteoroid research, including studies of meteorites containing all of the building blocks of DNA, the world's first "boomerang meteorite" and the oldest evidence of a meteor hitting Earth. So, to become a space rock savant like our expert writers and editors, check out the latest meteoroid news, features and articles at Live Science.
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Southern Taurid meteor shower begins ‪—‬ how to spot blazing 'fireballs' from now till NovemberThe Southern Taurid meteor shower, one of the longest-running meteor showers of the year, is on from now until late November. Here are the two peak nights to watch for.
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Perseid meteor shower 2026: What it is, where to see it, and how to watchThe 2026 Persied meteor shower could be the best one in years, thanks to a new moon that will also cause a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12.
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2 meteor showers peak on the same night this week ‪—‬ when to get the best viewsThe Delta Aquariids peak on July 30-31, kicking off "meteor season," though bright moonlight will likely limit views.
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'Fireball' meteorite that smashed into New Jersey home contains ingredients of life from ancient proto-planetAmino acids and other "pre-biotic" molecules were spotted in a meteorite that crashed into a New Jersey home in 2024.
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Ultra-rare meteorite could be evidence of a lost planet that once orbited near Earth — Space photo of the weekA rare meteorite found in the Sahara Desert may be evidence of a long-lost "protoplanet" that formed in the early solar system before being destroyed in a colossal collision, a new study suggests
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NASA confirms meteor exploded over northeastern US with force of 230 tons of TNTNASA shared an initial analysis of a 5-foot-wide fireball meteor that exploded in the sky over the northeastern U.S. on Saturday, May 30.
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Brilliant-green fireball meteor explodes over erupting volcano in the PhilippinesMultiple videos show a rare "fireball" meteor breaking apart with a flash of emerald light over the erupting Mount Mayon. Initial reports suggested that the falling space rock hit the volcano, but this was untrue.
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Lyrid meteor shower 2026: See spring's first rain of 'shooting stars' peak in moonless skiesExpect bright fireballs during the Lyrid meteor shower, which will peak in moonless skies on April 22, 2026.
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Bright-green fireball meteor caught exploding above famous Viking raid site in UKPhotographers caught a spectacular emerald-green fireball meteor streaking above Lindisfarne in northeast England, where Viking raiders famously killed and robbed Christian monks in the eighth century.
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