PITTSBURGH — It could be a colorful display in the sky over the next few weeks.
The Perseid Meteors peak tonight and linger through the end of August.
Did you know not all meteors are alike?
While most meteors are a dull white or gray, you can get some very vivid colors of the rainbow based on what elements are being heated within the meteor as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. Even the Earth’s atmosphere itself, with abundant oxygen and nitrogen, helps produce colors.
- Iron appears gold or light orange
- Sodium produces darker yellows and orange
- Magnesium makes for a greenish glow
- Calcium can create a more purple palette
- Oxygen can produce reddish colors
Sadly, we are expecting mostly cloudy skies overnight Wednesday night, but they’ll be around for another 12-14 nights.
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