Vietnam is about to welcome the most beautiful meteor shower of 2023: What color are the meteors?

In mid-December, if conditions are favorable, Vietnamese astronomy lovers will have the opportunity to admire the Geminids meteor shower, one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year. Here, let's learn about the colors of meteors.

According to researcher Dang Vu Tuan Son, President of the Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association (VACA), if the sky is clear enough, you will see that the meteors are not actually all the same color, but slightly different. This difference comes from the main chemical composition on its surface, which is what burns when it collides with the atmosphere. Accordingly, because each element emits different wavelengths when heated, they emit light of different colors. Thus, based on the color of the meteor, you can guess to some extent the main component of the meteorite that caused it.

The meteors we see are usually blue-white or red-white.

VACA

"However, it is important to note that the image you see here is not entirely accurate, because some elements (especially iron) can emit light at a range of wavelengths (i.e. different colors) depending on the temperature they are heated to. Gases such as nitrogen or oxygen do not produce specific colors if they are heated independently. However, because they are abundant in the atmosphere, they can participate in interactions with elements on the surface of the meteor, the degree of which can create colors," the researcher analyzed. In addition, because many elements change color with temperature, the color of the meteor also depends on the velocity of the meteor. At high velocities, meteors emit a higher proportion of radiation at blue wavelengths than at low velocities. For these reasons, although you may see similar illustrations in many places, most of the meteors you see are either blue-white or red-white, depending on the velocity and also because iron (or oxidized iron) meteorites make up the majority. Other colors are less common in reality.

Thanhnien.vn