Meteors are all short-term atmospheric luminous phenomena in the form of more or less long, often afterglown lanes, suddenly luminescing lighting and weather phenomena in the Earth atmosphere and at the Earth surface, which are caused by the invasion of extraterrestrial small bodies (meteoroids) into the Earth’s atmosphere. The few bodies which fall down till the surface are called meteorites.
Meteoroids are mostly dust grains, small metal- or stone chips from the interplanetary space, from which about 10 billion fall from space with a total mass of 1,000 to 10,000 tons in the Earth’s atmosphere. Because of their enormous rate of about 11.2 to 72 km/s – depending on the angle to the orbital motion of the Earth – most vaporize in about 80 kilometers altitude by air friction; while they ionize the air molecules, causing bright streaks of light.
Besides individually occurring meteorites (So-called sporadic meteors) tehre can be observed on certain days of the year or at certain intervals extended meteor showers (Swarm of meteorites, moving on parallel paths). These arise, if the Earth crosses the orbit of a comet. Because the observer gets the impression, that all the traces of all these meteors meet in one point, if one opposite the direction of movement extended, the meteor showers are named after the constellation in which this so-called radiant is.
Known meteor showers are the quadrants in January, the Perseids in July and August, the Leonids in November and the Geminids in December. Especially many Falling Stars can be seen the days between 8 and 14 August when from the constellation Perseus the “Perseids” on the ground “rain”.
| Designation | broadcast point | Date (DD.MM. – DD.MM.) |
Maximum (DD.MM.) |
Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Bootes | 28.12. – 12.01. | 03.01. | Comet C/1490 Y1 |
| Lyrids | Lyra | 16.04. – 24.04. | 22.04. | Comet 1861 I |
| Eta Aquariids | Aquarius | 19.04. – 28.05. | 05.05. | Halley’s Comet |
| Perseids | Perseus | 17.07. – 24.08. | 12.08. | Comet 1862 III |
| Southern Taurids | Taurus | 20.10. – 10.12. | 10.11. | Comet 2P/Encke |
| Draconids | Draco | 08.10. – 10.10. | 09.10. | Comet Giacobini Zinner |
| Orionids | Orion | 11.10. – 30.10. | 19.10. | Halley’s Comet |
| Leonids | Lion | 06.11. – 30.11. | 17.11. | Comet Tempel-Tuttel |
| Geminids | Gemini | 07.12. – 17.12. | 13.12. | Asteroid Phaethon |