Meteorite strike. Computer artwork of a meteorite striking a city at night. This is a large rocky meteorite, heated red hot by friction with the air. Meteorites are large meteors, fragments of interplanetary debris that enter the Earth's atmosphere, which survive the passage through the atmosphere and strike the Earth. Very bright meteors or meteorites are known as fireballs. The effect of this meteorite would be catastrophic, with extensive damage and loss of life. Around 500 meteorites hit Earth each year, landing mainly in the oceans.