Pehaps if the meteor wasn't solid , if it were made of gas, could it bounce between the different layers in our atmosphere until disintegrating?
2007-03-14 16:54:15 · 10 answers · asked by Sandy B 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Exploding meteors are called bolides. I've seen two of them in my 42 years. Freakin' awesome sight!
During meteor showers, it is not unusual to see a meteor fragment into several pieces...though it is pretty rare to see one actually explode. It lights up the sky just like lightning.
As for zig-zagging...they generally don't do that. At least, I've never heard of such a thing. They can bounce off the atmosphere though, but that'd be more of just a single zag..
2007-03-14 19:24:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Once a meteor enters the atmosphere it becomes classified as a meteorite. ; )
However if meteorites are lightweight, there speed is low and they strike different densities of atmosphere then the deflection of their path can be readily apparent. (Like a rock skipping across the surface of a pond. Do they zigzag? I've seen them zigzag and not follow a straight path.) Pockets of gases within their matrix become superheated and the pressures building within as a result can cause an explosion which disintegrates the meteorite...
Now as for "layers"...When scientists come up with models of the atmosphere, these models are idealized. They are not REAL. They are models which help to describe the underlying chaos. Who is to say that there is one distinct layer at one particular altitude at all given times is a distinct layer considering the turbulent, dynamic, mixing nature of the atmosphere?
Do you know how I know that you are a kid? Because of the way that you word your questions. I know that it is hard but you must stop thinking with rigidity and start thinking dynamically. Ohhhh...I guess it comes with age.
2007-03-14 18:32:42 · answer #2 · answered by mr.gold 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, they can. If it contains small 'pockets' of entrapped water, they can go off like small rocket engines and cause a surprising amount of lateral motion. I don't believe anyone has ever observed a meteor to go back up, but the side to side motion can look quite puzzling from some angles. And, if the water pocket is large enough, it can cause the meteor to 'blow up' just like an over-pressured boiler.
HTH ☺
Doug
2007-03-14 17:05:20 · answer #3 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Even if it were solid, it is POSSIBLE. It isn't very LIKELY if it's solid, but if it's made of gas it'd be more likely; however, the speed of the meteor's movement would also be a factor in the probability of this occurrence. Sometimes the old cliché is true: truth can be stranger than fiction.
2007-03-14 17:01:17 · answer #4 · answered by MC Wild Joker 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, but it isn't made of gas. It's solid, but there are many turbulent forces in the atmosphere that can cause it to move around oddly. I've seen it happen. Also, they can break apart in mid-air, and you might only notice one part.
2007-03-14 17:03:51 · answer #5 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not quite . meteors are stone and as they fall they can burn they will some times change direction in flight because they can burn unevenly but they will not bounce in the atmosphere . if they get hot enough they can break apart kind of like an explosion .
2007-03-14 17:01:34 · answer #6 · answered by chotpeper 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would surmise that the answer is no. Such a motion would defy the laws of physics.
2007-03-14 16:57:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
not unless some other force was acting upon it destablizing it's orbit.
2007-03-14 17:00:52 · answer #8 · answered by matt2571483 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
exactly
ur prety smart
or?
are u?
surpise for u
2007-03-14 16:57:21 · answer #9 · answered by infinate wisdom 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
And if it had a high concentration of Flubber.
2007-03-14 16:56:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋