Asteroids and Meteoroids both are celestial bodies orbiting the sun but are not large enough to be deemed a planet. They have a few similarities but there are many differences between the two. The table given below shows the differences between these two celestial bodies.
| Basis of Difference | Asteroid | Meteoroid |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Asteroids can be called minor planets orbiting around the sun. | Meteoroids are falling stars. Also known as shooting stars. |
| Revolution of the Sun | Asteroids have elliptical orbits and they use this orbit to revolve around the sun. | Meteoroids too have elliptical orbits on which they move but they often get pulled towards the larger bodies around them due to gravitational pull. |
| Origin | Asteroids are believed to have originated during the formation of planets some 4.5 billion years ago. | Meteoroids are believed to have originated as disintegrated particles from comets or asteroids. |
| Size | Asteroids can range from 1 to 100 kilometers in diameter. They are much bigger than meteoroids. | Meteoroids are normally less than 10 meters in diameter. They are much smaller than asteroids. |
| Name | Asteroids are named. Earlier they were given mythological names now they are named after someone or something as a gesture of honor. | Meteoroids are not named as they are fairly insignificant. |
| Collision Impact | Owing to their large size, if an asteroid collides with a planet it will have a significant impact. According to one of the theories, an Asteroid collision with the Earth may have been the reason behind the disappearance of dinosaurs. It is believed that an asteroid about the size of San Francisco Bay collided with Earth some 65 million years ago. | Meteoroid collisions may have a very insignificant impact on planets. Several million meteors fall towards the Earth every year and most of them get evaporated in the atmosphere before hitting the ground. |
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