A shooting star is a phenomenon that has fascinated human beings since always. There are people who put their deep desires or desires in them with the hope that they will make them come true. Other people simply enjoy seeing a shower of shooting stars or smile if by chance one night the sky is crossed by just one of them.
In any case, shooting stars are a spectacle that many of us enjoy. But What are they? How is the origin of these stars that seem to cross our sky? Today we are going to answer these questions.
What is a shooting star?
A shooting star, if we go to the field of astronomy, is a phenomenon known as a meteorite produced when a small fragment of matter from space (it could be dust or a small asteroid for example) enters the Earth's atmosphere at a high speed. Upon entering our atmosphere, that fragment, It heats up and glows from friction What particles do in the air due to that high speed. All of this causes that luminous flash that we can see at night and that we call a shooting star.
What is the origin of shooting stars?
Most shooting stars come from comets or asteroids that, when passing close to the sun, release gas and dust, forming what we know as "particle cloud". When the Earth in its orbit passes through these clouds of particles, small fragments in them enter our atmosphere at enormous speed. When we see a meteor shower it is normally when our planet passes through the fragments left by the stars. Now, how does a meteor become a shooting star?
Process of creating the light we see
By the time a meteor enters the Earth's atmosphere, its speed can fluctuate between 11 and 72 kilometers per second. This very high speed, which we are constantly discussing, is the key for shooting stars to have light. The air that has this fragment in front is suddenly compressed, generating an increase in temperature. This high temperature can heat the meteor up to 1650 degrees causing the material to vaporize and emit light.
Meteor shower
Individual shooting stars capture the attention of the viewer, but the meteor shower fascinates anyone. As they are regular events, it is possible to plan the night to go see them to a dark place (away from city lights) on a clear night. So wait comfortably looking at the sky until the nature show begins.
A very famous meteor shower is "the tears of Saint Lawrence", also known as the Perseids. This event happens every August, when the Earth passes through the debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. At that time we can see up to 100 meteors per hour if the sky is clear.
Other famous rains are The Geminids which happen in December and are also accompanied by colored light; the Leonids in November, famous because their meteors produce explosions and we can see thousands per hour; either the Quadrantids at the beginning of January which, although usually brief, are intense.
How to observe a meteor shower?
If you are fascinated by this type of natural events, we want to give you several recommendations so that your experience watching them is the best possible. So mark the calendar when the next rains are going to be and get ready to enjoy watching them.
The first thing we must look for is clear place of many trees, so that it allows us to see a large amount of sky. That place must be away from artificial lights humans that will prevent us from being in darkness and the sky from looking less intense.
The ideal is to go slowly, we can take some folding chairs, a table, something to eat... anything that makes our wait bearable and our desire to see the stars increases. While we wait, it is better to leave screens aside, ideally Take advantage to observe the sky. We can contemplate the stars that are normally in our sky but paying attention to them, trying to differentiate the constellations or locate the North Star. But the most important, we will be making our eyes adapt to the darkness, that they can see the night sky perfectly. This way, when the show arrives, we can contemplate it in all its splendor. And, most importantly, if you have found a perfect place to see the sky, take advantage of it every time an event worth seeing occurs.
Beliefs and myths about shooting stars
Throughout history, the sky has fascinated man, whether day or night, the gaze was raised expecting rain or heat, seeking orientation or enjoying the magnificent spectacle that it offers us during the day and, above all, during the night. evening. The phenomena that could not be explained, those that seemed magical They have always captured the human imagination.
In many cultures it was believed that a shooting star was the harbinger of some significant event, many times something good. Therefore, when we see a star passing by, there are people who say: "make a wish". This is a tradition widespread throughout the world, a tradition based on the fact that something so ephemeral, so fleeting, has the ability to connect our human desires with heaven.
The name "shooting star" itself comes from ancient times, where it was thought that these phenomena were nothing more than stars falling from the sky. However, after this article we already know perfectly well what they are. Of course, maybe we should continue making wishes, just in case.
If you want to know more about stars We recommend you take a look at the following articles:
- Do you know what the brightest star in the universe is?
- Do you know the draconids? Discover the reason for one of the most incredible meteor showers!
- What are the best apps to see stars?
- Know everything you need to achieve star photographs