What determines the color of falling stars?

This week is coming Geminids. Although not as famous as the Perseids, for many it is the most special meteor shower of the year. This is because its intensity is about the same as the tears of San Lorenzo. But besides that color of falling stars This is completely different. While the Perseids have a typical orange color, the Geminids have light between blue and greenish.

This is due to several factors, among which the composition of the asteroid stands out. 3200 Phaeton, whose debris causes this meteor shower every year. In fact, the color of shooting stars, like any meteorite, is mainly due to this. To the composition of the object from which they originate. Although this also matters speed.

In the case of the Geminids, they come from fragments rich in nickel and magnesiumthat cross the sky at high speed. This is the reason for such a characteristic color. But what do its composition and speed have to do with its tone?

Reasons for the Color of Shooting Stars

When we talk about the color of shooting stars, we are actually talking about any remnant of dust or fragment of a cosmic object that, while crossing our atmosphere, ignites from friction.

The atoms of any element consist, generally speaking, of two structures: basicwhich is inside, and Cortex, which is located outside. The core has protons and neutrons, more protected, while the electrons are in the earth’s crust. Therefore, they are the ones most susceptible to the energy changes that atoms undergo.

In the earth’s crust, electrons are arranged in layers through which they can move when absorb or release energy. If the electrons in an asteroid fragment become highly excited by a collision with the atmosphere, they will jump to a higher level, emitting light that wavelength (and therefore its color) will depend on the element to which that atom belongs. This may help us find out its origin.

In fact, this is something that applies to other phenomena as well, such as fireworks color. Or even the northern lights. Some are more reddish and others are more greenish, mainly due to the composition of the atmosphere. This will be more or less the same everywhere, but may have differences due to contamination.

What about speed?

The color of falling stars is also determined by their speed. This happens because when dust residues crossing the atmosphere are ignited, dust particles are also ignited. atoms present in the air, Around him. The air is dominated by oxygen and nitrogen, which glow red. However, this is only observed when the meteor is moving very slowly.

If their speed is greater, the color of the shooting stars dominates the color of the surrounding air. This is exactly what is happening with the Geminids, which we will soon be able to see.

As for the reasons for this speed, there are basically two of them. On the one hand, the speed with which the object that generated the debris moved. And, on the other hand, the way which find with the Earth. This is explained in an article on this topic recently published in IFLScience: “An object whose orbit causes a head-on collision will produce a much faster flare than an object moving in the same direction as the planet, only to be overtaken.”

In short, the color of shooting stars like the Geminids can be explained in several ways. But it doesn’t matter what it is. One thing is clear: these are beautiful meteors and worth going to see them. Don’t forget: its peak will be night from 14 to 15 December.