Meteors & Meteor Showers

Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii captured the telltale flash of a meteorite impacting the moon, causing a brief flash on our celestial neighbor's nightside.

The meteoroid was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,452 kph) when it struck the atmosphere, exploding into smaller pieces — some of which hit the ground.

The Winchcombe meteorite was collected mere hours after it fell, but researchers have found that it was already contaminated with earthly minerals, including common table salt.

On Feb. 15, 2003, a meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, showing why we need better methods of detecting and tracking near-Earth asteroids.

The annual meteor shower Alpha-Centaurids peaks on Wednesday (Feb. 8) as Earth passes through a cloud of debris left by an unknown comet - but only for skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Scientists have returned from Antarctica with an impressive haul of meteorites, including a near-17-pound monster.

The annual Ursae Minorid meteor shower which began on Jan. 15 peaks on Thursday, Jan. 19, with the meteors best seen when the constellation Ursa Minor is high above the horizon.

Amino acids, the building blocks of life, have been found in the nearly pristine Winchcombe meteorite.

Scientists have discovered a wealth of organic compounds within a Martian meteorite, which could help researchers discover if Mars could have hosted life.