Types of Meteors
•“Carbonaceous”: lighter elements (C, Si, Mg), can be covered with dark organic compounds or rocky material
–Source: unformed planet or planetesimal
•“Metallic”: dominantly nickel/iron
–Source: differentiated body broken up later
•“Basaltic”: like lava; must have been melted rock
–Source: differentiated body or large collision
Many meteors are chunks from asteroids
(some sources are known), others are pieces from comets
