meteoroidist

A meteoroidist is a researcher who studies meteoroids, the small rocky or metallic bodies that travel through interplanetary space. Meteoroids are typically smaller than asteroids and range in size from micrometers to roughly a meter in diameter. The term is not widely standardized in the scientific literature; professionals who study these objects more commonly describe themselves as meteoritists, meteoritics researchers, or planetary scientists specializing in small bodies.

Researchers in this field investigate the origins, composition, and physical evolution of meteoroids, including how they are created in asteroid collisions or by cometary activity, how they travel through the solar system, and how they fragment or weather in space. They also study interactions with the solar radiation environment and with planets, as well as the formation of meteoroid streams that produce meteor showers on Earth.

Methods used by meteoroidists include observations of meteors and meteor showers with optical cameras, radar, and spectroscopy; tracking meteoroid orbits with telescopes and radar; laboratory analysis of recovered meteorites; isotopic dating and mineralogical studies; and numerical modeling of dynamical evolution. In some cases, space missions and in situ measurements contribute to understanding meteoroids before they reach Earth.

The field is closely related to meteoritics and planetary science, and its findings inform theories about the early solar system, the evolution of small bodies, and impact processes. Given the variety of terminology, researchers may identify more strongly with meteoritics, planetary science, or small-body studies rather than with a distinct designation as a meteoroidist.