What process creates the visible streak of light known as a meteor or fireball?
Answer
Intense friction and heating causing vaporization and superheated air
The visible streak is formed when intense friction and heating cause the outer layers of the meteoroid to vaporize, turning the incandescent gas into the visible streak we observe.
Related Questions
What minimum brightness level qualifies a meteor as a fireball?How does the astronomical apparent magnitude scale relate to brightness?Which statement accurately describes the relationship between a bolide and a fireball?What process creates the visible streak of light known as a meteor or fireball?What term is used for space debris that survives atmospheric passage and lands on the ground?When observing a very bright fireball, when is the sonic boom typically perceived relative to the light flash?Why might a very bright fireball appear much larger than the actual meteoroid causing it?If an observer notes a yellow-orange light during a fireball event, what element might be indicated about the object's composition?What object sets the benchmark magnitude for defining a meteor as a fireball?What type of event might cause a sonic boom associated with a fireball?