Friday, October 10, 2008

Meteor Streaks Across Michigan Sky Last Night

A meteor was spotted falling in the Saugatuk, Michigan area last night. It was mistaken for a fallen aircraft by a caller who reported it into the Allegan County Central Dispatch Center. The meteor was also spotted by air traffic controllers at the the Kalamzoo-Battlecreek Airport who saw a streak last about 2 seconds in the northwestern skies.

The meteor was also seen in the Chicago area. It was reported to have an orange colored tail.

I had a thought, and wondered if the color the meteor gave off as it burned off would be the result of its composition. After a quick search of the internet, I was not able to find any more information on this. I have seen all kinds of colored tails, from red to green to blue, as well as orange.

The general conclusion that I found is that it the color depends more on the meteors angle of entry and forward speed. The bright colors are the result of ionization of the atmosphere. Well, if anyone knows or has a though on this, then feel free to leave a comment about it.

No comments: