New study reveals how space rocks become meteorites

Phys.org reports on a new study that tracked seventy-five meteorite falls captured on video and in photographs. Researchers identified seven distinct phases in a space rock's journey through Earth's atmosphere. The findings suggest that melting and fragmentation, not just burning up, are what control how the rock loses mass and slows down before reaching the ground. The study is published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science.

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