What color hue might become more pronounced in slower-moving meteors due to atmospheric effects?
Answer
Red
Slower-moving meteors, sometimes those traveling in the same general direction as Earth's orbit, generate less extreme heating upon atmospheric entry compared to high-velocity meteors. This less intense energy transfer means the vaporization of the meteoroid material is not as overwhelming. Consequently, the emission from the surrounding atmospheric gases—specifically nitrogen ($ ext{N}_2$) and oxygen ($ ext{O}$)—has a greater chance to become visually apparent, resulting in a more pronounced red hue overlaying or mixing with the object's primary color.
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