Why do meteors glow in different colors?

Meteor showers — one of the brightest astronomical events of the year. Especially beautiful ones, in which the meteors glowing in different colors.

If you look in his peripheral vision, a meteor may seem like a flash of white, like a star. But under good conditions for review or in photos they can appear in other colors of the rainbow. The color of the meteors depends on their chemical composition. Different chemicals emit different colors when burned in the Earth's atmosphere.

For example, meteors consisting of calcium, will glow purple or violet, while those dominated by magnesium, the light will turn green or greenish blue. In addition to the composition of the meteor, its color can influence the rate at which it enters the atmosphere. The faster the meteor is moving, the more saturated the color. Slow-moving meteors are usually red or orange and dimmer than fast, which often have a blue color.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»