Planet Venus "Meets" Earth Meteor over Colorado

Planet Venus "Meets" Earth Meteor over Colorado

"It came from outer space."

Meteors can be colorful. While the human eye usually cannot discern many colors, cameras often can. Colors in meteors usually originate from ionized chemical elements released as the meteor disintegrates. Blue-green colors typically originate from magnesium, calcium radiates violet, and nickel glows green. Red, however, typically originates from energized nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. This bright meteoric fireball was gone in a flash—less than a second—but it left a wind-blown ionization trail that remained visible.

Learn more about meteors and meteorites:

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/

Image Credit: Mike Lewinski

Image Date:  Nov. 22, 2023

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