Why do meteors start to burn in atmosphere?
They are going so fast that the friction with air heats them up as they enter the atmosphere.
Thanks!
Meteors start to burn in the atmosphere due to a process called atmospheric entry, where they encounter intense heat and friction. Here's how it happens:
1. Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are actually small celestial objects, typically made of rock or metal, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a boulder.
2. When a meteor enters the Earth's atmosphere, it is traveling at an extremely high speed, often tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. This high speed generates a tremendous amount of kinetic energy.
3. As the meteor moves through the Earth's atmosphere, it encounters air molecules. The air molecules collide with the meteor and compress the air in front of it, creating a high-pressure region.
4. This compression generates intense heat due to the laws of physics. The heat arises from a combination of two factors: the conversion of the meteor's kinetic energy into thermal energy and the friction between the meteor and the air molecules.
5. The heat that is produced causes the surface of the meteor to become extremely hot, often exceeding thousands of degrees Celsius. This extreme temperature causes the meteor to glow and emit light, resulting in the familiar streak of light we observe as a meteor burning up.
6. The high temperatures also cause the meteor's surface material to vaporize or melt, creating a glowing trail of ionized gas behind it, known as a meteor trail or a meteor train.
7. The glowing trail can persist for a short period, typically only a few seconds, before it dissipates due to the meteor's disintegration or cooling.
In summary, meteors start to burn in the atmosphere due to the high-speed entry, resulting in intense heat and friction that causes the meteor's surface to glow and emit light.