At what speed can space debris enter Earth's atmosphere when forming a meteor?
Answer
Sometimes exceeding 45 miles per second
The dramatic visual effect of a meteor streaking across the sky is directly related to the extreme velocity at which the space debris encounters our atmosphere. These small fragments of rock or dust, originating from comets or asteroids, intersect Earth's orbit at incredibly high speeds. The text specifies that these speeds can, at times, surpass 45 miles per second. This tremendous kinetic energy, upon impact with the atmospheric gases, is rapidly converted into thermal energy, causing the object to heat up intensely and glow brightly until it vaporizes completely within the upper layers of the atmosphere.
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