Are meteors ever green?

[David Wong]

I saw a UFO last night, which I am assuming was a meteor because it seemed to follow that trajectory and speed. It was at 8:45 CST, in southern Illinois, and my wife and I saw it streak across the sky, disappearing behind some trees to the right.

The only thing odd about it was that it was glowing bright green, which I wouldn't normally associate with meteors but then again I've never seen one that close.

I guess it could have been green running lights on an aircraft but it was a weird trajectory for a plane, unless it was coming in for an emergency landing in a field over there. There is no airport nearby.

So are some meteors green? Because of the stuff they're made of, does it glow green when it burns in the atmosphere?

[Silly Green Monkey]

Never burned a bit of copper wire? Metals make interesting flame colors.

[Denver]

At this link, it says the Leonids tend to be green in color.

http://www.weatherfriend.com/astronomy/meteor/geminids/geminids.html

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Copper burns with a green flame and some meteorites do have a high concentration of copper so I think what you saw could very well be a meteorite. I would hazzard a guess that some satellites may also contain lotsa copper. YMMV.

[Wangler]

The Aurigids last September or October had some green bolides. That was a cool shower.

[Richard Masters]

I saw a UFO last night, which I am assuming was a meteor because it seemed to follow that trajectory and speed. It was at 8:45 CST, in southern Illinois, and my wife and I saw it streak across the sky, disappearing behind some trees to the right.

The only thing odd about it was that it was glowing bright green, which I wouldn't normally associate with meteors but then again I've never seen one that close.

I guess it could have been green running lights on an aircraft but it was a weird trajectory for a plane, unless it was coming in for an emergency landing in a field over there. There is no airport nearby.

So are some meteors green? Because of the stuff they're made of, does it glow green when it burns in the atmosphere?

I saw a yellowish green meteor explode at night. Like you I was confused for about a second or two. But I didn't know meteors might burn green until that night.

Look up videos of meteors on Youtube. Quite a few green ones.

[Richard Masters]

RrL-cWaYdno

KLM1pfgv9IE

[7th sextile]

Kryptonite.

[David Wong]

RrL-cWaYdno


That is exactly what I saw. That could be a video taken from my car last night. Green, with a white tail, moving that speed, at that angle, etc.

This forum is awesome.

[skeptigirl]

I've seen many meteor trails that remained a glowing green. Very common for a fireball.

Where did you see it? Have there been other reports?

[skeptigirl]

I saw a yellowish green meteor explode at night. Like you I was confused for about a second or two. But I didn't know meteors might burn green until that night.

Look up videos of meteors on Youtube. Quite a few green ones.Bright lights, big city: UFO reported over Baytown [Texas] skies; 11:41 PM CDT on Sunday, April 27, 2008 (http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080427_tnt_baytownufo.a72f0258.html)

The Lyrid meteors (http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/LOCAL/80326040) and the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/52338/meteor-shower-best-before-dawn-on-may-5) are both active showers right now and then there is always the possibility of a random meteor.


EarthSky's meteor guide for 2008 (http://www.earthsky.org/article/earth-skys-meteor-guide-for-2008)

[rjh01]

What was the bright light at 5 seconds in the first link? Street light?

[skeptigirl]

What was the bright light at 5 seconds in the first link? Street light?I think they could have seen a meteor. People often describe these things a bit differently than it turns out. Venus, for example, is reported as a UFO on a regular basis. When it comes up over the horizon it looks like a light coming toward you.

Still others suggested it was a meteor that lit up the Baytown sky that night.

But Fogt and Boyd said, as far as they’ve heard, meteors don’t make hard-banking right turns.

“And then it just kicked in – like, warp speed – and it was gone!” Boyd said. “An extremely sharp turn.” So I'm not sure if this thing really made a turn as these guys say. I posted it to see if it was near the same time and place as David's sighting. I thought it was an interesting coincidence. I probably should have said more about the link.

[shadron]

Copper burns with a green flame and some meteorites do have a high concentration of copper so I think what you saw could very well be a meteorite. I would hazzard a guess that some satellites may also contain lotsa copper. YMMV.

Particularly that comet we whacked a couple of years ago. I guess it has about 800 lbs more copper than it did before.

[Gravy]

The most spectacular meteor I've seen, which was bright enough to read by as it streaked across much of the sky, left a trail that was partially, brilliantly, green.

[Richard Masters]

I've seen many meteor trails that remained a glowing green. Very common for a fireball.

Where did you see it? Have there been other reports?

This was about two or three years back, driving south in northern California. It actually shattered and produced a lightning-like flash. And you are right, it was a fireball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor#Fireball)according to the IAU

[Richard Masters]

That is exactly what I saw. That could be a video taken from my car last night. Green, with a white tail, moving that speed, at that angle, etc.

This forum is awesome.

Yes, the great thing about this forum (in my opinion) is people get together and find logical (and sometimes elegant) explanations for phenomena that might be interpreted as supernatural.

[Cuddles]

Green meteors? Oh noes! The Triffids are coming!:eek:

[David Wong]

I've seen many meteor trails that remained a glowing green. Very common for a fireball.

Where did you see it? Have there been other reports?

I live in Southern Illinois, and was driving south on interstate 57 near where it intersects with I-64. This was at 8:45 CST Saturday night.

I didn't know if such a thing was important enough to make the news but I checked anyway; nothing on the wires and nothing on the local news here. But again unless it impacted probably not news.

[skeptigirl]

This was about two or three years back, driving south in northern California. It actually shattered and produced a lightning-like flash. And you are right, it was a fireball (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor#Fireball)according to the IAUI'm glad I asked because I was under the impression you had seen one recently. I thought yours and David's might have been from a related dust stream.

[skeptigirl]

I live in Southern Illinois, and was driving south on interstate 57 near where it intersects with I-64. This was at 8:45 CST Saturday night.

I didn't know if such a thing was important enough to make the news but I checked anyway; nothing on the wires and nothing on the local news here. But again unless it impacted probably not news.They are all worth reporting. The more eyes the merrier.

American Meteor Society's Fireball Monitoring Program (http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireballs.html)

Here are the most recent reports. (http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/fireball_log2008.html) There aren't any reports from the 26th but people don't always get things posted right away.

Here's the form, (http://www.amsmeteors.org/fireball/report.html) fill it out if you're not too shy. The data is useful to lots of people.

There are some scientists looking for fireball 76. 27 people saw it and they think it resulted in a meteorite hitting the ground just north of Pendleton OR (IIR the location C).

[BenBurch]

Meteors can be almost any color. Depends on the composition of the parent body.