Green meteors spotted in New Zealand, experts explain the origin of their colour

New Zealand observed two meteors only two weeks apart during the month of July. The second one, visible at night, raised questions about its green colour. The green colour is largely due to the components of the meteor.

Two meteors visible in just two weeks

On Thursday 7 July 2022, a huge meteor surprised the inhabitants of Wellington, New Zealand. The bolide, visible in broad daylight and widely filmed, caused a sonic boom that was heard across the North Island. However, it happened again just two weeks later.

The second meteor appeared during the night of Friday 22 July, over Canterbury on the South Island. It lit up the night with a blazing green light, causing a second sonic boom in the process.

The scientific explanation for the meteor's green colour

According to Metro, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Canterbury named Jack Baggaley said green meteors are not uncommon in New Zealand and their colour is not so unusual. It is due to the components present in the piece of asteroid. When it passes through the atmosphere, the meteor heats up and ignites at a high temperature. At this point, the iron and nickel present emit a green glow as they vaporise. When the meteor also contains sodium, a slightly yellow trail can also be observed.

While the green of the meteors is quite different from that of the polar aurora, Jack Baggaley explains that the green meteor tails can be caused 'by an effect similar to that which creates auroras' provided they are moving at very high speed. Many factors, such as the composition of the meteor, the heat and the speed at which it passes through the atmosphere, are ultimately responsible for its colour.

This article was translated from Gentside FR.

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