METEORS Meaning and
Definition
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Meteors are celestial objects that enter the Earth's atmosphere from outer space. They are commonly referred to as "shooting stars" or "falling stars" due to the fast and often brilliant streaks of light they create when they burn up in the atmosphere. Meteors are typically rocky or metallic fragments, remnants from comets or asteroids, ranging in size from smaller than a grain of sand to several meters in diameter.
As meteors travel through space, they follow an elliptical path around the Sun, similar to the planets and other celestial bodies. When they collide with the atmosphere, they experience immense pressure and friction, causing them to heat up and glow brightly. The light emitted during this process is called a meteor's "trail" or "plasma trail." Most meteors burn up completely before they reach the Earth's surface, disintegrating due to the intense heat generated by their passage through the atmosphere.
Meteors are often observed as brief streaks of light that last for only a few seconds, though occasionally they can be seen for longer periods, known as fireballs. Fireballs are brighter and sometimes accompanied by loud noises or sonic booms, indicating that the meteor has survived intact and reached the Earth's surface as a meteorite.
Scientists and astronomers study meteors to gain insights into the origins and composition of the solar system. Meteor showers, such as the Perseids and Leonids, occur when the Earth passes through debris trails left by comets, resulting in an increased number of visible meteors during specific times of the year.
Top Common Misspellings for METEORS *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for METEORS
Etymology of METEORS
The word "meteors" comes from the Ancient Greek word "meteoron", which means "high in the air" or "lofty". The plural form of meteoron in Greek is "meteora", which is where the English word "meteors" originated. In Classical Greek, meteoron referred to any celestial phenomenon that occurred in the sky, including shooting stars, comets, and other atmospheric occurrences. Over time, the term became more specifically associated with the phenomena we now call meteors, which are the bright streaks of light that occur when meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up due to friction.
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