Fireball vs. Meteor — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 16, 2024
A fireball is an exceptionally bright meteor that appears as a glowing streak in the sky, while a meteor is a smaller fragment of a comet or asteroid entering Earth's atmosphere, typically visible as a shooting star.
Difference Between Fireball and Meteor
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A fireball is a type of meteor that shines exceptionally brightly, often outshining Venus in the night sky. This brightness is due to the larger size or higher speed of the meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere, causing more intense frictional heating and thus a more brilliant display. A meteor, in general, is a small fragment of a comet or asteroid that burns up upon entering Earth's atmosphere. Most meteors are no larger than a grain of sand and are visible as fleeting streaks of light, commonly referred to as shooting stars.
While a fireball is essentially a very bright meteor, the term "meteor" encompasses all sizes and brightness levels of these space debris as they enter the atmosphere. Fireballs are a spectacular subset of meteors, noticeable due to their intensity and longer-lasting visibility.
Meteors, including fireballs, result from extraterrestrial particles encountering atmospheric friction, which causes them to heat up and emit light. Fireballs, due to their larger size, produce a brighter and often more prolonged light show compared to typical meteors.
Both fireballs and meteors originate from space and enter the Earth's atmosphere, but the significant difference lies in their brightness and visibility. Fireballs are rare and striking events, often observed with greater awe due to their brilliance.
The occurrence of fireballs and meteors highlights the continuous interaction between Earth and space, with meteoroids regularly entering the atmosphere. Fireballs, due to their brightness, provide a more dramatic reminder of this celestial activity.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Exceptionally bright meteor
Any fragment of a comet or asteroid entering Earth's atmosphere
Brightness
Brighter than Venus
Varies; typically less bright
Size
Generally larger meteoroids
Usually small, often grain-sized
Visibility
Long-lasting, very bright streak
Fleeting streak, often called a shooting star
Frequency
Relatively rare
More common
Compare with Definitions
Fireball
Outshines Venus in brightness.
Last night, a fireball brighter than Venus was visible.
Meteor
Burns up due to atmospheric friction.
The meteor glowed as it heated up from friction.
Fireball
Can last several seconds.
The fireball was visible for almost ten seconds.
Meteor
Short-lived streak of light.
The meteor was a brief but brilliant streak of light.
Fireball
An exceptionally bright meteor.
The fireball lit up the entire night sky.
Meteor
Visible as a shooting star.
We saw a meteor streak across the sky.
Fireball
Caused by larger meteoroids.
The fireball resulted from a sizable meteoroid entering the atmosphere.
Meteor
A bright streak of light that appears in the sky when a meteoroid is heated to incandescence by friction with the earth's atmosphere. Also called falling star, meteor burst, shooting star.
Fireball
Often ends with a terminal flash.
The fireball ended with a bright terminal flash.
Meteor
A meteoroid or meteorite.
Fireball
A brilliantly burning sphere.
Meteor
(Archaic) Any atmospheric phenomenon, such as a rainbow, lightning, or snow.
Fireball
A highly luminous, intensely hot spherical cloud of dust, gas, and vapor generated by a nuclear explosion.
Meteor
An atmospheric or meteorological phenomenon. These were sometimes classified as aerial or airy meteors (winds), aqueous or watery meteors (hydrometeors: clouds, rain, snow, hail, dew, frost), luminous meteors (rainbows and aurora), and igneous or fiery meteors (lightning and shooting stars).
Fireball
See bolide.
Meteor
A fast-moving streak of light in the night sky caused by the entry of extraterrestrial matter into the earth's atmosphere; a shooting star or falling star.
Fireball
See ball of fire.
Meteor
(juggling) A prop similar to poi balls, in that it is twirled at the end of a cord or cable.
Fireball
A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion.
Meteor
(martial arts) A striking weapon resembling a track and field hammer consisting of a weight swung at the end of a cable or chain.
Fireball
(astronomy) A meteor bright enough to cast shadows.
Meteor
(figurative) Any short-lived source of wonderment.
Fireball
(figurative) A feisty, strong-willed person.
Meteor
(intransitive) To move at great speed.
Fireball
(sailing) A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.
Meteor
Any phenomenon or appearance in the atmosphere, as clouds, rain, hail, snow, etc.
Hail, an ordinary meteor.
Fireball
(heraldry) A charge made of a disc-shaped bomb shell, with four sets of flames, at the top, bottom and on either side.
Meteor
Specif.: A transient luminous body or appearance seen in the atmosphere, or in a more elevated region.
The vaulty top of heavenFigured quite o'er with burning meteors.
Fireball
A ball filled with combustibles to be thrown among enemies.
Meteor
A mass of stone or other substance which sometimes falls to the earth from space beyond the moon, burning up from atomospheric friction and creating a brilliant but usually very brief trail of light in the atmosphere; also called a shooting star.
Fireball
(intransitive) To explode in a ball of flame.
The car swerved off a road, hit a wall, and fireballed as the petrol tank exploded.
Meteor
A streak of light in the sky at night that results when a meteoroid hits the earth's atmosphere and air friction causes the meteoroid to melt or vaporize or explode
Fireball
(baseball) To pitch the ball very fast.
Meteor
(astronomy) any of the small solid extraterrestrial bodies that hits the earth's atmosphere
Fireball
To attack with balls of fire.
Meteor
A fragment of a comet or asteroid.
The meteor burned up upon entering Earth's atmosphere.
Fireball
A ball filled with powder or other combustibles, intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion; also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements may be seen.
Meteor
Typically small, grain-sized.
Most meteors are no larger than a grain of sand.
Fireball
A rare phenomenon often associated with or caused by lightning, resembling a luminous ball of fire passing rapidly through the air or along solid objects, then disappearing, and sometimes exploding. It seldom lasts more than a few seconds. Also called ball lightning, globe lightning, globular lightning, or kugelblitz.
Fireball
A large mass of fire caused by a large explosion, as of inflammable liquids or a nuclear device. The larger fireballs, as of nuclear explosions, rise seemingly intact into the air and may reach high altitudes while still glowing.
Fireball
An especially luminous meteor (sometimes exploding)
Fireball
A highly energetic and indefatigable person
Fireball
A ball of fire (such as the sun or a ball-shaped discharge of lightning)
Fireball
The luminous center of a nuclear explosion
Common Curiosities
What causes the brightness of a fireball?
The brightness is caused by the larger size or higher speed of the meteoroid, leading to more intense frictional heating.
What is a meteor?
A meteor is a fragment of a comet or asteroid that burns up upon entering Earth's atmosphere, commonly seen as a shooting star.
Are fireballs common?
Fireballs are relatively rare compared to typical meteors.
How does a fireball differ from a typical meteor?
A fireball is much brighter and usually larger than a typical meteor.
What is a fireball?
A fireball is an exceptionally bright meteor that can outshine Venus in the night sky.
Can all meteors become fireballs?
No, only meteors that are sufficiently large or fast can become fireballs.
What is the typical size of a meteor?
Most meteors are very small, often no larger than a grain of sand.
Can you predict fireballs?
Fireballs are difficult to predict accurately due to their sporadic nature.
Do fireballs leave trails?
Yes, fireballs often leave glowing trails that can persist for a few seconds.
How long does a fireball last?
Fireballs can last several seconds, much longer than typical meteors.
What is a shooting star?
A shooting star is a common term for a meteor.
What happens to a meteor after it enters the atmosphere?
Most meteors burn up completely due to friction with the atmosphere.
Can a fireball reach the ground?
If a fireball is large enough to survive the atmospheric entry, it can reach the ground and is then called a meteorite.
What do we call a meteor that hits the Earth's surface?
A meteor that reaches the Earth's surface is called a meteorite.
Where do meteors come from?
Meteors are fragments of comets or asteroids that enter Earth's atmosphere.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
