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(meteorobs) Re: Fireballs
Arlene,
The difference between regular meteors and fireballs is strictly the
brightness at which they appear. Your average meteor has the same
magnitude (brightness) as your "run of the mill" star. A fireball has
a magnitude of at least -3 (as bright as Jupiter which is currently in
the evening sky). Fireballs are larger particles (baseball size and
larger) that penetrate a bit deeper into the atmosphere. Naturally
fireballs are much rarer than normal meteors but can be seen most
easily during the peaks of major showers. The upcoming Geminids (Dec
11-15) are a good source of fireballs.
I hope this helps!
Bob Lunsford
Arlene C. Brill wrote:
>
> can someone describe the difference between regular run of the mill <g>
> meteors and a 'fireball'??
>
> thanks,
>
> arlene
>
>
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