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Space
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Satellite | an object, natural (like the Moon) or artificial (man-made spacecraft), that orbits a larger celestial body |
| Meteor | the visible streak of light—commonly called a "shooting star"—that occurs when a small piece of space debris enters Earth's atmosphere at high speed and burns up. |
| Asteroid | Asteroids are rocky, airless remnants left over from the formation of the solar system |
| Comet | n icy, small Solar System body that outgasses when passing close to the Sun, often developing a visible "tail |
| Meteorite | a piece of space rock (from an asteroid, comet, or meteoroid) that survives its fiery passage through a planet's atmosphere and lands on the surface, providing valuable samples |
| Meteoroid | a small, rocky or metallic body (from dust grain size up to about 1 meter) traveling through outer space, often debris from asteroids or comets |