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Meteors do not burn up in space. They burn up in the atmosphere, because of the intense heat caused by their speed through the air.
A recently observed meteor - one of this year's Perseid meteors - was measured at 130,000 miles per hour. Given that speed, it isn't surprising that it melts to plasma within a fraction of a second.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoMeteors travel at great speed through the earth's atmosphere. They experience aerodynamic friction which heats them up. They can burn up anywhere in the earth's atmosphere or even strike the earth.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoThey don't burn, they melt - from friction.
Anonymous
the thermosphere doesn't contain enough oxygen
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Many more meteorites reach the surface of the moon because?
They're trajectory brings them too close to the moon, and its gravitational pull gets ahold of them.
What is it called when a meteor enters earth's atmosphere and friction causes it to burn up and produce a steak of light?
A meteoroid is a small metallic or rocky body. If it passes through the atmosphere causing it to burn up is called a meteor or shooting star. Any remnants that reach the earth are called meteorites.
What dont the moon have for the meteors to burn up in?
THe Moon doesn't have an atmosphere, which is what protects Earth from most meteorites.
Why do meteors not burn up before the y reach the surface of the moon?
Because... there's almost no atmosphere on the moon. On Earth - the atmosphere causes meteorites to heat up to the point that they usually evaporate before striking the surface. On the moon - they don't heat up enough, and survive to land on the surface.
What protects the earth from small meteorites while the earth's moon is?
The earth's atmosphere protects it from small meteorites - actually the specific part is the mesosphere. When meteorites contact this part of the atmosphere they wither burn up or become very small. I don't understant the "earth's moon is" part, sorry.
Why do meteorites burn up?
They burn up because of friction in the atmosphere
Why are there thousands of craters on the moon?
The moon doesn't have an atmosphere, so meteorites hit the surface and create the craters. Earth's atmosphere causes most meteorites to burn up due to air friction before the meteorite can crash on to the surface. A 'shooting-star' is a meteorite burning up in the sky.
Many more meteorites reach the surface of the moon because?
They're trajectory brings them too close to the moon, and its gravitational pull gets ahold of them.
What dont the moon have for the meteors to burn up in?
THe Moon doesn't have an atmosphere, which is what protects Earth from most meteorites.
What is it called when a meteor enters earth's atmosphere and friction causes it to burn up and produce a steak of light?
A meteoroid is a small metallic or rocky body. If it passes through the atmosphere causing it to burn up is called a meteor or shooting star. Any remnants that reach the earth are called meteorites.
-More meteorites reach the surface of the moon than the Earth Why?
Most of the meteorites which reach Earth burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere due the heat caused by friction. The moon has no atmosphere.
Do meteorites become extinct like stars do?
I suppose there are more meteorites that become extinct than stars. Meteorites burn up in the atmosphere every night. Not only on this planet, but planets all around the universe. Some survive but get destroyed when crash-landing into a planet. A lot of meteorites also get sucked into stars.
Why do meteorites reach the surface of the Moon then the surface of the Earth?
More reach the surface of the moon because there is no atmosphere to heat and burn them up.
Why do meteors not burn up before the y reach the surface of the moon?
Because... there's almost no atmosphere on the moon. On Earth - the atmosphere causes meteorites to heat up to the point that they usually evaporate before striking the surface. On the moon - they don't heat up enough, and survive to land on the surface.
What protects the earth from small meteorites while the earth's moon is?
The earth's atmosphere protects it from small meteorites - actually the specific part is the mesosphere. When meteorites contact this part of the atmosphere they wither burn up or become very small. I don't understant the "earth's moon is" part, sorry.
Do meteorites hit Earth?
all the time, but the meteorites just burn up in the atmosphere, this is caused by the thick atmosphere on earth, which generate a huge friction between the meteorites and the air molecules. You can actually see the it burning up in the sky, commonly known as falling stars. But it is not all meteors, which burn up in the atmosphere, it just have to be big enough to sustain its shape all the way to the ground, but this only happens rarely. but as you can see on mars it has a lot of craters, and that is simply because the atmosphere is much thinner.
What layer of the atmosphere to meteors burn up in?
Meteors burn up in the high atmosphere. If they land on Earth, they become meteorites.
