Where does a meteors light and color come from? What is a meteor train?
The majority of light from a meteor radiates from a compact cloud of gaseous atoms immediately surrounding the meteoroid or closely trailing it. This cloud consists of a mixture of atoms and material ablated from the meteoroid itself, and atoms from the surrounding air. These excited particles will emit light at wavelengths characteristic for each element/compound. The most common emission lines from meteors originate from iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), nitrogen (N), and calcium (Ca). Less frequently seen are the emission lines of Silicon (Si), Titanium (Ti), Manganese (Mn), and Chromium (Cr). While most meteors produce a wide blend of these emissions, giving the meteor an overall white color, specifically colored meteors are often reported by meteor observers. Usually, such colors are rather weak in appearance; however, vivid colors are occasionally reported, especially with fireballs. Reported colors range across the spectrum, from reds, yellows, greens, and blues, to gold,
