Stargazing Spotting Meteorites: Unveiling the Mystery of Annual Showers

Thread starter sophiecentaur
Start date Aug 1, 2021

AI Thread Summary

Meteorite showers, like the Perseids, occur annually as Earth passes through the dust trails left by comets, which are distributed along their entire orbital paths rather than just in the comet's tail. The particles, often moving slower than the parent comet, maintain orbits that differ from Earth's, leading to predictable intersections with our planet. This consistency in timing and radiant location arises from the collective movement of the solar system through space. The discussion also highlights the distinction between meteors (the visible streaks in the atmosphere) and meteorites (the remnants that reach the ground), emphasizing the importance of precise terminology in astronomy. Overall, the mechanics of meteor showers reveal a complex interplay of orbits and velocities that contribute to their annual predictability.

Mar 15, 2022

sophiecentaur

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Keith_McClary said:

I think their motion is due to the ejection speed from the comet. Most of the ejection is from the hot (sunny) side.

I was wondering about that and it does make sense, qualitatively. Orbital shape and period would affect the surface temperature due to exposure times to high solar radiation. The JWST, which always points one side at the Sun and on which the solar shield maintains more than 300K difference between near and far sides. That sort of difference could well account for local, selective boiling-off of some materials, depending on the exposure time and perigee. Perhaps short period comets would do this differently from longer period comets.

Nothing is ever simple in space!