Which light-sensitive cells in the human eye are responsible for true color perception during meteor observation?
Answer
cone cells
The human visual system exhibits different sensitivities depending on the ambient light level. At the very low light conditions typical when viewing meteors, the eyes rely predominantly on rod cells, which are highly sensitive but perceive light mostly in shades of blue-green, leading to potential color distortion. To perceive the subtle, vibrant colors associated with specific elemental emissions, such as the pure blue from iron or violet from calcium, the light intensity must be high enough to fully engage the cone cells. Cone cells are responsible for high spatial acuity and true color detection, which is why using magnification like binoculars can sometimes reveal colors otherwise masked by the rod-cell bias.
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