This week offers dark moonless skies. Perfect for meteors! We've all seen them streak across the heavens. But did you know that….
You always see more after midnight, when you're on the forward-facing part of Earth
- You see more from August through early January than any other month
- You never see the meteoroid itself—just the glowing air surrounding it
- Most are the size of apple seeds
Some of these facts seem counterintuitive. After all, a reader recently reported seeing one come down over a neighbor's backyard. Well, yes, they can seem that way. In truth, they either burn to dust or else slow down enough to stop glowing when 60 miles up. So all are between 60 and 120 miles away from you. On this moonless week, if you live away from bright city lights, you'll see six each hour between midnight and dawn.
Perseid Fireball from 2013. Credit: www.willgater.com
What's in a Name?
Out in space, the tiny invisible bits of ice, stone, or metal — debris from asteroid or comets — are called meteoroids. When they hit the atmosphere and become visible, they're meteors, or shooting stars, or falling stars.
A rare super-bright one that casts shadows is called a fireball. And if it explodes into glowing pieces, you've been lucky enough to see a bolide.
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Can a fireball be seen during the daylight hours. I once many years ago seen something much like explained here, but it was during the day. It appeared as a ball (football shaped) bright light that went across the sky and then what seemed like 2 feet of my vision distance it disappeared. Sorry, I am not likely to believe in little green men. Science and explanation first. lol
Absolutely, and totally, I believe you! I saw one during broad daylight too, maybe 15 years ago. No doubt about it!
What do you call it when you watch a star an it goes out? It was a clear night
Well, no stars should go out, obviously, since even the shortest-lived ones exist for 10 million years. My guess: it went behind a cloud, or else it was a satellite (some appear briefly, then vanish -- especially Iridium satellites) or else aircraft lights, or else a meteor coming straight toward you!
Is a falling star the same as a fireball? You should see the wad of dust at Greensburg,Ks. Meteorite the size of a VW. I live in the country and see a lot!
A meteor bright enough to cast shadows is called a fireball. And if it explodes into pieces, it's called a bolide.
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