By Dr. S.A. Mohan Krishna, Observational Astronomer
A meteor, sometimes called a “shooting star,” can be the brightest object in the night sky. Wandering through space, perhaps as debris left behind by a comet, meteoroids enter the earth’s atmosphere, are heated by friction and for a few seconds streak across the sky as a meteor with a glowing trail. A brilliant meteor, called a fireball, may weigh many kilograms, but even a meteor weighing less than a gram can produce a beautiful trail. Some of these visitors are large enough to survive their trip through the atmosphere and impact the ground as meteorites. Fireballs are sometimes followed by trails of light that persist for up to 30 minutes; some, called bolides, explode with a loud thunderous sound.
