How big are most meteorites, and do they fall as single objects or clusters of objects?
Meteorite finds range in size from particles weighing only a few grams, up to the largest known specimen: the Hoba meteorite, found in South Africa in 1920, and weighing about 60 tons (54,000 kg). As with the magnitude distribution of meteors, the number of meteorites decreases exponentially with increasing size. Thus, the majority of falls will produce only a few scattered kilograms of material, with large meteorites being quite rare. Meteorites are known to fall as single, discreet objects; as showers of fragments from a meteor which breaks up during the atmospheric portion of its flight; and (rarely) as multiple individual falls. The initial mass and composition of the meteoroid primarily determine its eventual fate, along with its speed and angle of entry into the atmosphere.
