|
|
What Happens when Hot Air Balloons Take a Meteor Shower?
Balloon Fiesta flies high when popular meteor shower peaks with stunning
celestial fireworks
31 July 2006 – Have you wondered what will happen if you fly a hot air
balloon during a meteor shower? Will the meteorites strike your balloon?
Can you see the meteor shower better since you’re already in the sky?
Well, you'll get your answer on 13 August, when it's a busy busy day in
the sky! The International Balloon Fiesta is happening on the same day
when the most popular meteor shower, the Perseids, is at its peak.
But fret not! There is no chance of people or the hot air balloons being
struck by a meteor, says Katy McDonald, Learning Communicator, At-Bristol
The Perseids have been happening for millenia and occur around the same
time every year as the Earth's orbit intersects a stream of comet debris.
Therefore, any larger pieces of debris from the comet would have already
hit the Earth’s surface many years ago.
“Comet debris is made up of tiny particles of dust less than a centimetre
across. The particles burn up around 60km above the Earth's surface, which
is as high as 11 - 12 Mount Everests (8.8km high) stacked up on top of
each other, whereas hot air balloons fly less than a kilometre from the
ground.” Adds Katy, who designs the astronomy programmes in At-Bristol’s
Planetarium.
For meteorites to actually land on the Earth’s surface, they would have to
be around the size of a grapefruit before entering Earth’s atmosphere. In
fact, whether meteorites do land on the surface is also dependent on what
they are made from and at what speed they are travelling at.
When these particles of dust enter the Earth's atmosphere they are
travelling at around 210,000km/h and hence burn up to produce what we see
as shooting stars.
“It's possible to see the meteor shower clearly if you are in a hot air
balloon in the sky as there will be less ambient glow. However, it’s not
advisable to do so as hot air balloons are not to be flown at night. So,
the best way to see a meteor shower is to go somewhere really dark, away
from streetlights and the ambient glow of the city, while hoping that it
all happens during a clear and cloudless night.” Says Katy.
For public who want a slice of the summer night sky and to find out more
about meteorites, visit the At-Bristol Planetarium. The At-Bristol
Planetarium is currently running a series of summer night sky shows for
the public and will also be showcasing meteorites during the science
centre’s weekly Meet the Expert series, which is funded by Particles
Physics and Astronomy Research Council.
www.at-bristol.org.uk/explore/planetarium.htm
For more information please contact Mavis Choong, At-Bristol Press Office
tel: 0117 915 7137; mob: 07967 33 4152; email:
mavis.choong@at-bristol.org.uk
Note to Editors:
At-Bristol is a leading science centre In the UK and a
major player in the world-wide science centre movement. It aims to be a
world-class science and natural history centre that makes distinctive,
valued and recognised contributions to informal science learning and
public engagement with science locally, regionally, nationally and
internationally. A registered charity, At-Bristol has hosted more than 3
million visits and continually strives towards making science accessible
to all.
|
