What color appearance is typical for moderate velocity meteors ($ ext{15 to 30 km/s}$) due to iron ionization?
Answer
blue
The velocity range corresponding to moderate entry speeds—between approximately 15 and 30 kilometers per second—results in plasma temperatures sufficient to effectively ionize iron atoms present in the meteoroid material. When these ionized iron atoms return to a lower energy state, they primarily emit light in the blue segment of the visible spectrum. This places the moderate velocity meteors visually between the slow-moving ones, which are often yellow-orange due to sodium dominance, and the extremely fast meteors, which readily ionize magnesium, creating a green flash.
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