Meteors
Meteors
Slide 1: Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites:
Meteoroids are small pieces of debris (usually from comets or asteroids) that are on a collision course with Earth
Meteroids hitting the Earths atmosphere are called meteors
If the meteors survive and strike the Earths surface, they are meteorites
Slide 2: Meteor Showers
Happens when there is a spike in the number of meteors streaking through the night sky.
The radiant of the shower is the point in the sky from which the meteors come
The radiant for the Leonid meteor shower coincides with the constellation Leo
Slide 3: Apophis
In 2004, astronomers gave this asteroid a 2.4% chance of hitting earth during its close passing in on April 13, 2029.
More recent analysis shows that Apophis will miss the earth by 19, 400 miles.
Only a 1 in a million chance of hitting earth.
Slide 4: Regular Meteor Showers
Quadrantids- Early January
Geminids- mid December
Leonids- mid November
Orionids- mid/ late October
Perseids- early/mid August
Lyrids- mid April
Slide 5: Speed
Meteors can enter the atmosphere on a range from 25,000 mph to 160,000 mph.
Meteoroids entering Earths atmosphere travel at 60-7- km per second
In the morning, meteors can collide with the atmosphere causing it to be fast
Slide 6: Meteor Size
Meteors come in various shapes and sizes
Typical size of light producing meteors can be as small as a grain of sand or a pebble Slide 7: Nightly Meteors
Can be seen on any given night
Appear in random directions
On a typical clear night, 1 meteor (shooting star) can be seen about every 15 minutes
Not in any particular meteor shower
Slide 8: Fireballs
Larger meteors produce fireballs.
Another term for a very bright meteor
Boldie fireballs are very rare to see
Boldie fireballs explode in a bright flash leaving fragmentation
Slide 1: Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites:
Meteoroids are small pieces of debris (usually from comets or asteroids) that are on a collision course with Earth
Meteroids hitting the Earths atmosphere are called meteors
If the meteors survive and strike the Earths surface, they are meteorites
Slide 2: Meteor Showers
Happens when there is a spike in the number of meteors streaking through the night sky.
The radiant of the shower is the point in the sky from which the meteors come
The radiant for the Leonid meteor shower coincides with the constellation Leo
Slide 3: Apophis
In 2004, astronomers gave this asteroid a 2.4% chance of hitting earth during its close passing in on April 13, 2029.
More recent analysis shows that Apophis will miss the earth by 19, 400 miles.
Only a 1 in a million chance of hitting earth.
Slide 4: Regular Meteor Showers
Quadrantids- Early January
Geminids- mid December
Leonids- mid November
Orionids- mid/ late October
Perseids- early/mid August
Lyrids- mid April
Slide 5: Speed
Meteors can enter the atmosphere on a range from 25,000 mph to 160,000 mph.
Meteoroids entering Earths atmosphere travel at 60-7- km per second
In the morning, meteors can collide with the atmosphere causing it to be fast
Slide 6: Meteor Size
Meteors come in various shapes and sizes
Typical size of light producing meteors can be as small as a grain of sand or a pebble Slide 7: Nightly Meteors
Can be seen on any given night
Appear in random directions
On a typical clear night, 1 meteor (shooting star) can be seen about every 15 minutes
Not in any particular meteor shower
Slide 8: Fireballs
Larger meteors produce fireballs.
Another term for a very bright meteor
Boldie fireballs are very rare to see
Boldie fireballs explode in a bright flash leaving fragmentation