Editing Meteorite (section)

== Frequency ==
{{See also|Near-Earth object#Planet Earth collision probability with near-Earth objects|l1=Planet Earth collision probability with near-Earth objects}}

The diameter of the largest impactor to hit Earth on any given day is likely to be about {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}}, in a given year about {{convert|4|m|spell=in|}}, and in a given century about {{cvt|20|m||}}. These statistics are obtained by the following:

Over at least the range from {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=off|sp=us|spell=in}} to roughly {{convert|300|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}, the rate at which Earth receives meteors obeys a [[power law|power-law]] distribution as follows:

:<math>N(>D) = 37 D^{-2.7}\ </math>

where ''N'' (>''D'') is the expected number of objects larger than a diameter of ''D'' meters to hit Earth in a year.<ref name="Nature-01238">{{cite journal |first1=Peter |last1=Brown |first2=Richard E. |last2=Spalding |first3=Douglas O. |last3=ReVelle |first4=Edward |last4=Tagliaferri |first5=Simon P. |last5=Worden |title=The flux of small near-Earth objects colliding with the Earth |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=420 |issue=6913 |pages=294–296 |date=21 September 2002 |doi=10.1038/nature01238 |pmid=12447433 |bibcode=2002Natur.420..294B |s2cid=4380864 }}</ref> This is based on observations of bright meteors seen from the ground and space, combined with surveys of [[near-Earth asteroids]]. Above {{cvt|300|m||}} in diameter, the predicted rate is somewhat higher, with a 2 km (1.2 mi) asteroid (one teraton [[TNT equivalent]]) every couple of million years{{snd}}about 10 times as often as the power-law extrapolation would predict.