The green glow of an aurora is caused by oxygen ions in the upper atmosphere. Some meteors can glow in this way, too, but only if they are extremely fast.
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Articles on Meteor
Displaying 1 - 20 of 45 articles
When the meteor exploded into pieces above New Zealand, it produced a shock wave strong enough to be picked up by earthquake seismometers. But any fragments have likely dropped into the ocean.
Could the Tau Herculid meteor shower put on a spectacular show next week? Only time will tell.
Each year, the Earth runs through a broad river of dust surrounding Comet Halley – giving birth to the spectacular Eta Aquariid meteor shower.
NASA has only mapped 40% of the potentially dangerous asteroids that could crash into Earth. New projects will boost that number, and upcoming missions will test tech that could prevent collisions.
A poor start for meteor showers in 2021 but things get better with a possible spectacular surprise later in the year. Here’s your guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
A big year ahead for some of the meteor showers this year. Here’s your 2020 guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
Security cameras captured two separate fireballs over Australia this week. So what’s responsible these bright flashes?
The origin of Libyan desert glass found scattered in an Egyptian desert has puzzled scientists for years. But a new look at the glass structure reveals its meteoric formation.
Meteorites might look like boring bits of rock – but each one has a fascinating story.
We’re finding more near-Earth objects all the time, and the challenge is to identify those that could potentially hit us. So how come we missed one that caused a huge blast in December?
Moonlight will spoil some of the big meteor showers this year, but still plenty of others to see. So here’s your guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
Expect a spectacular display of 120 or more meteors per hour – some of them brightly coloured.
Without the scientific knowledge we have today, ancient cultures turned to myths and legends to understand celestial objects.
An asteroid on a collision course with Earth is inevitable. Astronomer Michael Lund explains how a new telescope under construction in Chile will become a vital tool for detecting objects that could devastate our planet.
Black Panther arrives at a moment of possibility. Its popularity demonstrates that people are crying out for chances to see themselves and their communities portrayed with dignity—as heroes.
Small asteroids can be hard to spot. But what kind of threat do they pose to the Earth?
Your guide to some of the best meteor showers for 2018. Where to look and when in both the northern and southern skies to catch nature’s fireworks.
Ten new remote cameras will soon be scouring the British night skies for meteorites.
In five or seven billion years time, the Sun’s life will come to an end. And it will be really spectacular - if you’re watching from far enough away.
Top contributors
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Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland
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Senior Curator (Astronomy), Museums Victoria, and Honorary Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, The Open University
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PhD Candidate in Astronomy, University of Southern Queensland
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Web and database guy, Macquarie University
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Professor in Earth Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Emeritus Professor of Mineral Physics, University of Cambridge
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Professor of Geology and Geoscience Atom Probe Science Leader, Curtin University
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Program Manager / Adjunct Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology
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Director, Space Science and Technology Centre, Curtin University
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Emeritus Fellow, Downing College, University of Cambridge
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Alan Duffy is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute, Swinburne University of Technology
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Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne
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Deputy Director of the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
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Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Western University
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Professor of Space Physics, Lancaster University
