National Meteor Day

June 30th is known as “National Meteor Day”, so this week we’re going to talk about meteors and other space objects. You may have heard of asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites, but what are the differences between them? Let’s explore each one.

Asteroids

Pictured as a purple ring of dots, is the asteroid belt between the inner solar system and Jupiter. Millions of asteroids can be found here. (Image credit: NASA)

An asteroid is a piece of rock smaller than a planet that orbits the sun. Asteroids are thought to be the rocky leftovers from when the solar system formed around 4.6 billion years ago. Some asteroids are the size of dust particles, while others are much larger. The asteroid Vesta is nearly 326 miles (524 kilometers) in diameter. That’s about 60 times as tall as Mount Everest! You can check out a NASA 3-D model of the asteroid Vesta here.

Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is a large asteroid belt, where millions of asteroids orbit the sun. At least 40,000 of these asteroids are more than 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) across. The rest are much smaller.

Comets

Hale-Bopp Comet as seen in 1995. Hale-Bopp is thought to be the brightest and the most widely observed comet of the 20th century. It will not return to the inner solar system for thousands of years (Image Credit: E. Kolmhofer/H. Raab/Johannes Kepler Observatory/Wikimedia Commons)

A comet is a cosmic snowball made of frozen rock, dust, and gas. Like an asteroid, a comet orbits the sun and can be a few miles to tens of miles wide. Comets produce gasses that heat up when close to the sun, forming a cloudy glowing head and a long tail of dust and gas. The tail of debris is called a coma from the Greek word kome, meaning hair.

Meteoroids

A meteoroid is a smaller piece of rock that has broken off from a larger asteroid or comet. The broken pieces are usually the result of a collision or impact between two space objects. Meteoroids usually contain various amounts of nickel and iron.

Meteors

When a meteoroid enters a planet’s atmosphere, it is often moving very fast and starts to burn up. These high speed glowing space rocks are called meteors. When they are seen flying across the night sky, people may call them “shooting stars” or “falling stars”.

Meteors are often confused with comets because they both appear as streaks of light. Comets however, are usually very far away from earth. When you see a meteor, it is in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists estimate that about 25 million meteoroids, or 48.5 tons of meteor material enter the Earth’s atmosphere each day. That’s almost as much weight as seven African Elephants! Most of the meteor material breaks apart when it reaches the atmosphere.

Meteorites

Meteors that did not manage to break apart when entering the atmosphere are called meteorites. Most meteorites that have been found on the Earth’s surface range in size from a pebble to a fist, but larger ones do exist

The largest meteorite ever found in the United States is The Willamette

Meteorite. It was discovered in the state of Oregon and it weighs as much as eight cars! The Willamette Meteorite is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The Willamette Meteorite from Oregon is the largest meteorite ever found in the United States. Its internal structure is made of metallic iron. The meteorite was known as “Tomanowos” and was considered sacred to the Clackamas People who lived in the Upper Willamette Valley before European settlers arrived. (Image credit: Dante Alighieri / Wikimedia Commons)

To learn more about asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meters, and meteorites, you can watch this video from Astronimate .

At-Home Activity: Mark your calendars for the Perseids Meteor Shower in August

From mid-July to late-August this year, the Perseids Meteor Shower will make its appearance in our skies in the Northern Hemisphere.

Around August 11-12, the meteor shower will peak, providing the best night show views. It is one of the brighter events, and if it is clear, you should be able to see 40 to 60 streaks across the sky each hour.

An outburst of Perseid meteors lights up the sky in August 2009 in this time-lapse image. Credits: NASA/JPL

This is the perfect time to have an at-home meteor shower party! Below are some tips to improve your outdoor viewing experience:

● Make sure you are in a location where there isn’t a lot of light pollution. Cities are not an ideal place to view a meteor shower. If possible, try to find a secluded spot away from bright lights.

● Check that the sky is clear. If there are any clouds, you may not be able to see much. If the moon is bright, it may also make it harder to see meteors. This year, the moon will be half full on August 11.

● Bring blankets, chairs, hot chocolate, or anything else that you would like to have during your meteor shower party. Make sure you dress for the weather.

● It is best to lie down. Try not to focus on one spot when looking up at the sky.

● If you want to know the best viewing locations and times for the Perseids meteor shower in your area and you also love astronomy, download a stargazing smartphone app. Some of these apps can identify what stars or planets are above you when you point the phone to the sky.

● And most importantly, be patient, and have fun! Even if you are not able to see a lot of meteors shooting across the sky, that’s okay. Having a meteor shower party is a wonderful way to spend time with family and marvel at the night sky and all of its amazing features.

For more information about the 2020 Perseid Meteor Shower, visit these websites: EarthSky and TimeandDate.

By Megan Goldsmith