What do shooting stars reveal about space?
By Irina K. Romanovskaya
The vast expanse of interplanetary space within our Solar System may seem barren and empty, yet appearances can be misleading. In truth, the void between planets is permeated by interplanetary gas and dust. Scientists estimate that if we were to collect all the interplanetary matter existing within the orbit of Jupiter, it would be enough to build a moon of 25 kilometers in diameter – an impressive 16 miles!
When we gaze upon the sky on a clear night, the occasional shooting stars serve as a reminder that interplanetary space is not completely empty. These streaks of light, officially known as meteors, are not real stars falling from the sky. They are caused by interplanetary dust particles burning up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere. These particles, no larger than a few hundred micrometers and weighing about one millionth of a gram, move at incredible speeds, nearly 100 times that of a rifle bullet.
Meteors are often associated with meteor showers, which occur when Earth passes through the material left in space by a comet. The most famous meteor shower is the Perseids. It occurs annually in August. During a meteor shower, dozens of meteors can be observed each hour, making it a remarkable view.
Every day, trillions of cosmic dust particles reach Earth’s surface. They can be found mixed in with the dust we sweep from our homes and wipe from our cars. It is a reminder that even as we are confined to Earth, the cosmos continues to touch our lives in countless ways.
Copyright © Irina K. Romanovskaya. All rights reserved.