[meteorite-list] Different colors of meteors/shooting stars

From: Marco Langbroek <marco.langbroek_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 19:22:32 +0200
Message-ID: <522F5558.9000705_at_online.nl>

In addition to what Chris Peterson wrote:

Colours perceived in meteors are quite often a result of the composition of the
atmosphere at the altitude of the meteor, rather than the meteoroid composition.

Take green colours sometimes reported for meteors. Almost invariably, someone
will argue that it points to a metallic composition.

In reality, the green is almost invariably the result of Oxygen in the
atmosphere (the same origin as the green colour in Aurora).

- Marco


-----
Dr Marco (asteroid 183294) Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)

e-mail: dms at marcolangbroek.nl
http://www.dmsweb.org
http://www.marcolangbroek.nl
-----
Received on Tue 10 Sep 2013 01:22:32 PM PDT