What physical process causes the bright streak of light commonly recognized as a shooting star?
Answer
The superheated air glowing intensely around the plunging rock
The brilliant flash associated with a meteor is not primarily caused by the rock itself burning up in the traditional sense, although material is lost through ablation. Instead, the extreme speeds—often tens of thousands of miles per hour—create immense friction with the air. This friction intensely heats the surrounding atmospheric gases to very high temperatures. It is this superheated air that glows brightly, creating the visible streak of light we observe. Most small meteoroids vaporize completely during this vigorous atmospheric stripping process.
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