what are meteorites
A meteorite is a fragment of rock or iron from outer space, usually a meteoroid or asteroid, which survives passage through the atmosphere as a meteor to impact the surface of the Earth. Meteorites are believed to originate in the asteroid belt between the planets of Mars and Jupiter. A meteorite may range in size from less than a gram to more than 60 tons. When the path of these space rocks intersects with Earth's orbit, the meteoroid enters the atmosphere at high velocity causing the luminous phenomena we call a meteor or shooting star.