Leonid Glowworm
Explanation:
Recent
Leonid
meteor showers have been
rich in
bright fireball meteors which
leave
lingering trails stretching
across the night sky.
These trails, or
persistent trains, are mysteriously
self-luminescent and do not shine by reflected light.
Visible for many minutes, they are blown by winds at
altitudes up to 100 kilometers
and can take on progressively twisted worm-like shapes.
Recorded in November, during the
1998 Leonid
meteor shower, this picture shows a persistent train
dubbed "Glowworm" by astronomers at Kirtland Air Force Base's
Starfire Optical Range
(
SOR).
What makes the Glowworm glow?
To find out, SOR astronomers engaged in a unique experiment,
tracking and probing both 1998 and
1999 Leonid meteor trains
with pulsed
laser
lidar
(
light
detection
and
ranging)
systems and other instruments.
A copper vapor laser produced the intense streak
seen shooting from the lower left of the image.
While the cause of the Glowworm's
glow
remains enigmatic for now,
the SOR results
will help unravel the mystery.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
