Asteroid or comet? Meteor or meteorite? How to identify and classify the rocks you see streaking through the sky

An observatory director describes the differences between the types of rocks that fly through space.

By: Adam Lark, Hamilton College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 16, 2026

Words: 954

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Adam Lark, Hamilton College

Have you ever been out at night and seen a streak of light blast across the sky and disappear? Ever wonder where that shooting star came from, or how it got to be in your sky?

As the director of the Peters Observatory at Hamilton College, I have seen many similar streaks across the sky, as I spend late nights at the observatory, and I am here to tell …

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