Meteorite
a so-called "shooting star" which has fallen upon the earth from space. The friction encountered when these portions of matter enter the earth's atmosphere, causes them to become incandescent, and as a rule they are completely disintegrated. Occasionally one will reach the earth's surface and in composition is found to consist of elements well-known terrestrially, iron and nickel being common. Meteorites vary in weight from a few ounces to several hundred pounds, one of the largest being known as the Caille Aerolite, which fell upon the Alps and weighed nearly 1,400 pounds.