Aerolith

Aerolith is a term sometimes used to refer to a meteorite, particularly one that has fallen to Earth. The word itself is derived from the Greek words "aero" meaning air and "lithos" meaning stone. Therefore, aerolith literally translates to "air stone." While the term was historically used, modern scientific literature predominantly uses the term meteorite.

Meteorites are fragments of celestial bodies, such as asteroids or comets, that survive their passage through Earth's atmosphere and land on the surface. The intense heat generated during atmospheric entry causes the outer layers of the object to ablate, forming a fusion crust. The size of meteorites can vary greatly, from microscopic dust grains to large boulders. Their composition is diverse, including stony meteorites, iron meteorites, and stony-iron meteorites, each offering insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system. Studying meteorites is crucial for understanding planetary science, as they provide samples of material from beyond Earth that are otherwise inaccessible.