What is the scientific term for the brilliant streak of light observed as a shooting star?
Answer
Meteor
The observable phenomenon—the visible streak of light appearing in the night sky—is scientifically designated as a meteor. This light is produced when a piece of cosmic debris, known as a meteoroid, enters the Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds, typically reaching velocities up to 71 kilometers per second. The light is generated not by the particle glowing white-hot from simple friction, but through the compression of atmospheric gas ahead of the object, causing intense heating. This heat vaporizes the material of the meteoroid, and the resulting energized atoms collide with atmospheric molecules, releasing photons in the visible spectrum.
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