There is a suspected meteorite falling in Hangzhou. How do astronomers answer this question?

On the night of June 5438+February 65438+May, 2022, the sky in Hangzhou has enveloped the night sky, and suddenly a super fireball fell from the sky, giving off dazzling light. This spectacular astronomical phenomenon was photographed by many residents, some of whom went out to look for meteorites left after landing, and many people found meteorite fragments of different sizes, the largest being as big as the palm of their hands. What is this fireball falling from the sky? Some people speculate that this is a launch vehicle? Suzaku 2? A fireball after a failed landing, but experts quickly explained it in detail.

What is a fireball? How is it different from ordinary meteorites? Fireballs are not uncommon: since 1988, China has recorded 23 white flashes at night. Especially in recent 10 years, there were 9 paddy fields almost every year. Day. The seemingly calm space is actually full of countless dust and solids. When it enters the earth's gravitational layer, it leaves its original orbit, passes through the atmosphere and falls straight to the earth's surface. Due to the strong friction with the atmosphere, it burns and glows.

The dust solids falling on the earth vary in size, and the smaller ones burn completely in the atmosphere, forming meteorites that we are familiar with. And the influence in the atmosphere increases, making the light dazzling. When an ordinary meteor hits the earth's surface, its weight generally does not exceed 1 g, but the fireball can reach hundreds of grams. 1976, a meteor shower occurred in Jilin. A huge fireball split into numerous small meteors and finally fell to the ground to become a meteorite, the largest of which weighed more than 1770 kg. Fireballs look more spectacular than ordinary meteors. There is often a luminous tailstock in the sky, which is the debris left after burning. Some of these fragments can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. If the combustion is intense and the airflow is moderate, the duration can be longer and more than enough. Some fireballs will explode like thunder when they pass through the atmosphere quickly. However, although all fireballs are burning, fireball burning may show different colors from normal burning. Compared with normal combustion, fireball combustion is more complicated in speed and height because of its own chemical composition.