And I'm Joel Block for Earth and Sky. Many meteorites strike Earth every year. It's thought that there are 7,500 meteorites a year over the entire land area of Earth. And remember, once they fall, these meteorites generally don't go anywhere. Experts estimate that there might be something like a hundred ancient and new meteorites for every square kilometer on Earth.
People pick up meteorites all the time.
A dry lake bed is another good place to look. The lake bed is generally white in color, and you can spot dark objects on it from a long way off. If you go to a lake bed to look for meteorites, binoculars can help you comb the area. Or you might want to go into the desert, where there's very little foliage to get in the way. The relative lack of vegetation is one reason why there are more meteorites found in the western U.S. than in the east.