meteoritics

meteorite +‎ -ics.

• IPA^(key): /miːtɪəˈɹɪtɪks/

meteoritics (uncountable)

1. (astronomy, mineralogy, geochemistry, cosmochemistry) The science that deals with meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids.
   • 1999, Harry Y. McSween, Jr., Meteorites and Their Parent Planets, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, page 7:

     From the beginning of the nineteenth century forward, meteoritics progressed steadily to an exacting and highly interdisciplinary field.

   • 2000, Monica M. Grady, Catalogue of Meteorites, 5th edition, Cambridge University Press, page 1:

     Following the precedents set in previous editions of the Catalogue of Meteorites, it is not the intention of this Introduction to discuss the science of meteoritics, but simply to provide a summary of the nomenclature and classification of meteorites and the system of entries adopted.

   • 2004, John S. Lewis, Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, 2nd edition, Elsevier (Academic Press), page 350:

     Meteoritics, the laboratory study of meteorites, was regarded as our best window on events at the time of the origin of the planets even before their age could be measured. […] Recently, discoveries in both meteoritics and asteroid research have brought forward several interesting connections with comets, and even the Voyager revelation of the nature of ice-rich satellites has influenced our understanding of meteorite origins.

• meteoriticist

• Glossary of meteoritics on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• meteoristic