Meteorite colors. What do they mean? Explained
Individual meteoroids differ not only in size, but also in composition. However, there is a way to find out what kind of problem we are dealing with.
Meteor showers are an interesting phenomenon because they attract the attention not only of professionals and hobbyists, but also of random people. The cosmic dance of rocks flying hundreds of kilometers away from us is considered romantic, and the so-called “shooting stars” are even said to fulfill wishes. A careful observer will have noticed that not all space rocks look the same. They differ not only in size and shape, but also in the color of the glow. Especially this last feature can tell us a lot about the meteoroid itself.
The color of meteors reveals their nature
The color of the glow (meteor) that covers the meteoroid is depending on its chemical composition. This is clearly visible when this type of object enters the Earth’s atmosphere. The high temperature with which the rock comes into contact leads to the combustion of elements. This creates a bright glow of a specific color.
It’s worth knowing what each color means. For example meteoroids made mainly of calcium They will have a purple glow color while those made of magnesium will be green in color or approaching turquoise. It is much more difficult to distinguish meteors in warm colors from each other. Meteoroids will be made of iron they burned to gold or yellow with a touch of orange. In turn, objects with a high sodium content will glow intensely orange. Red meteors are caused by nitrogen and oxygen.
