Fireball, Smoke Trail, Meteor Storm

Fireball, Smoke Trail, Meteor Storm



Returning from orbit,space shuttles enter the atmosphere atabout 8 kilometers per second as friction heats their protectiveceramic tiles to over 1,400 degrees Celsius.By contrast, the bits of comet dust which became th Leonid meteorsseen on November 18, were moving at 70 kilometers per second,completely vaporizing at altitudes of around 100 kilometers In thissingle 5 minute time exposure, three Leoni meteors areshootin through skies above Spruce Knob,West Virginia, USA Background starsare near the constellation Orion.The brightest meteor, afireball, dramatically changes colors along itspath and leaves a smoke persistant trail driftingin high-altitude winds.From that extremely dark site, at an elevation of 1,200 meters astrophotographerJerry Lodriguss reports, "We observed a zenithalhourly rate] of about 3,600 at 10:30 UT andvery high rates from 9:30 UT until well into the startof astronomical twilight at 10:50 UT. It was quite spectacular storm,with bolides going off like flashbulbs,green and red fireballs and other fainter Leonids in all parts ofthe sky."