It is estimated that each year the Earth receives about 100,000 tonnes of material from space. About five or six times each year, meteorite falls are witnessed. It is very rare for people to be hurt or property to be damaged by meteorites.
Scientists believe that meteorites are debris from long-ago collisions between asteroids.
For example the Eta Aquarids in May, and the Orionids in October, are both associated with Comet Halley. The Geminids arrive in December, and seem to be debris from asteroid Phaeton - which could possibly be the inert remnants of an old comet. Meteorite finds are important because they provide clues about what the inner solar system was like millions or even billions of years ago. Most meteorite finds are Irons. Stones weather and disintegrate quickly whereas iron meteoritesweather very slowly and can last for many thousands of years.