Have you seen the incredible video of the meteorite that hit Russia today? If not here are some links.
The first video you can hear the sonic boom and possibly the impact of the meteorite.
This next video, is the flash in the sky, or the meteor. Meteor is the light you see from the meteoroid exploding through our Earth's atmoshphere.
What the meteorite was before it hit Earth is a Meteoroid. The graphic below sums up what all of the different chunks in space are. An Asteroid is a larger chunk of rock, from the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. A Comet is like an Asteroid, but covered with ice and gases leaving a visible trail.
Meteor, as seen in the word Meteorology, is from the Greek word Meteor, meaning "thing high up". So, Meteorology is the study of "things high up".
Now, later today an Asteroid about 46 meters across will pass by very close to Earth. Here's the latest from NASA,
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST) on Friday, Feb. 15, during the close, but safe, flyby of a small near-Earth asteroid named 2012 DA14. NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our home planet from them. This flyby will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close.
The half-hour broadcast from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., will incorporate real-time animation to show the location of the asteroid in relation to Earth, along with live or near real-time views of the asteroid from observatories in Australia, weather permitting.
At the time of its closest approach to Earth at approximately 2:25 p.m. EST (11:25 a.m. PST/ 19:25 UTC), the asteroid will be about 17,150 miles (27,600 kilometers) above Earth's surface.