</noinclude> [[Image:Willamette meteorite.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Willamette meteorite, the largest ever found in the United States]] A meteorite is an extraterrestrial body that survives its impact with the Earth's surface without being destroyed. While in space it is called a meteoroid. When it enters the atmosphere, air resistance causes the body to heat up and emit light, thus forming a fireball, also known as a meteor or shooting star.
