The spelling of "meteor burst" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The word is pronounced as /ˈmiː.ti.ər bɜːst/. The first syllable "me" is pronounced as "mee" with a long "e" sound. The second syllable "teor" is pronounced as "tee-yor" with a stressed "ee" sound and a syllabic "r". The final syllable "burst" is pronounced using a diphthong "buh-rst" with the "u" sound quickly transitioning to the "r" sound.
Meteor burst is a communication phenomenon that occurs in the Earth's atmosphere by utilizing the ionized trails left behind by meteoroids as they burn up upon entering the atmosphere. This method of communication allows for long-range transmissions by reflecting radio signals off the ionized trails.
The process begins when a meteoroid, a small celestial object, enters the Earth's atmosphere, creating intense heat and friction that vaporizes it, resulting in a glowing streak of light known as a meteor. As the meteor burns up, it leaves behind an ionized trail, consisting of charged particles in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
This ionized trail acts as a temporary reflector for radio waves. By pointing a transmitter towards the ionized trail, radio signals can be bounced off it, enabling long-distance communication. This technique is particularly useful in situations where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable or disrupted, such as in remote regions or during natural disasters.
Meteor burst communication is a form of skywave propagation, a type of radio propagation that utilizes the Earth's ionosphere to reflect and refract radio signals back to the surface. However, the ionized trails produced by meteoroids are short-lived, typically lasting a few seconds to minutes, which imposes a limitation on the duration of communication via meteor burst. Nevertheless, this method has proven valuable in areas with limited communication infrastructure, providing a temporary means of long-range communication.
The word "meteor burst" has its etymology derived from two components: "meteor" and "burst".
1. "Meteor": The term "meteor" comes from the Greek word "meteoron", which means "something in the air". In ancient Greek, it referred to any phenomenon occurring in the sky, including atmospheric phenomena like clouds or shooting stars. Over time, the word specifically began to refer to the streaks of light caused by meteoroids (small celestial bodies) entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.
2. "Burst": The term "burst" comes from the Old English word "berstan", which meant "to break suddenly" or "to shatter". It ultimately traces back to the Proto-Germanic word "brestaną". Similarly, in Old Norse, the word "burst" meant "to split" or "to burst open".