Matching Pairs Mystery Writing Glossary AsteroidsOnline version vocab by Denise Kesel 1 deflect 2 velocity 3 atmosphere 4 orbit 5 meteor 6 asteroid 7 collision 8 impact 9 diameter one object hitting into another object speed the distance across an object a small object from space that enters the Earth's atmosphere. They often appear as glowing streaks in the sky or "Shooting Stars" the force of one thing hitting another air that surrounds a planet circling another object, like the Moon around the Earth a rocky object in outer space to cause an object to change direction after hitting something