The meteor/meteorite fell over there

Question

Let's not get too pedantic on the exact difference. What I'll stick with is this:

• If it is still in the air, falling, it's a meteor.
• If it has hit the ground, it's a meteorite.

In this case, which of the following is correct?

1. The meteor fell over there.
2. The meteorite fell over there.

This sets up a scenario where the object is now a meteorite, but was previously a meteor. The action we give to it, i.e., falling, corresponds to its state as a meteor, but it is a meteorite now; it is no longer a meteor.

If we're talking about an action of something that changes state, do we use the current state, or the state it was in at the time it was performing the action? Could it be that the verb form we pick affects this, i.e., that using "was falling" would cause "meteor" to be the correct choice, as falling in the present tense is something only a meteor can do, and that using "fell" would cause "meteorite" to be the correct choice, as only a meteorite can be done falling, mandating a past tense form?

Answer 1

"The meteorite fell over there" is correct because you're talking about a thing present-tense thing.

Another example:

• The man grew up in the countryside.

He's a man now, even though he was a boy when growing up.

However, if you're talking about something in the past-tense, i.e. describing the night it fell, you would use meteor:

• The sky was dark and the moon was bright as the meteor fell to earth.

And:

• He used to go fishing when he was a boy growing up in the country.

Answer 2

Meteorite is correct.

Now if someone can explain the origin of the astronomically nonsensical phrase "meteoric rise"…

Answer 3

A Greek is responsible to give the best explanation on this topic!
First things first, I'm Greek and the word "meteor" & "meteorite" are Greek words!

• "Meteor" comes from the Greek word "Μετέωρος" and denotes a state! "Μετέωρος" is someone ("Μετέωρο" is something) that is hanging in the air without changing its height relative to a reference surface. It may be either motionless OR not (i.e a pendulum that is hanging - it moves but it does not change its height). It also emphasizes the great possibility for something to start falling into the reference surface. Let's say it could be a "pendulum" that is considered a "meteor" because if we cut the rope it will start falling into a reference surface (for example a table).
• "Meteorite" , on the other hand, comes from the Greek word "Μετεωρίτης" and denotes something that is falling either it was a "meteor" before or not (i.e it was thrown by someone from outter space towards the earth for example)! Thus, "Μετεωρίτης" is someone or something that is falling into a reference surface (changing its height relative to a given reference surface).

Both a "Meteor" and a "Meteorite" words are meaningless without their reference surface. That is, we say that a "meteorite" for the earth is something that is falling into the earth's surface. The earth is the reference surface. Otherwise it is MEANINGLESS to call something a "meteorite" that is travelling through space.

Thus if we cut the rope that holds the pendulum we can say that instantly the pendulum becomes a "meteorite" FOR THE TABLE. The table removes its ability to be called as "meteor" any more. It is "safe" the is no possibility to start falling again. To get an even better understanding..assume that you could stabilize a ping-pong ball on a needle's edge. That is also considered a "meteor" because there is a great possibility to loose its stability and start falling towards the table (and become a "meteorite" for the table).

• "Meteoric rise" ("Μετεωρική ανύψωση" in Greek) it means that something moves or being move upwards relative to a reference surface that could possibly be stabilized at some final point so that it can be definitely called a "meteor".