A glowworm is a luminous trail of a tiny
meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mi ...
, occasionally visible in the night sky during a
meteor shower.
The centimeter-sized
comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...
pieces can produce hundreds of
fireballs or more each hour. In some cases, particularly during the
Leonids
The Leonids ( ) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle, which are also known for their spectacular meteor storms that occur about every 33 years. The Leonids get their name from the location of their radiant ...
, the fireballs make bright trails that can stay up for 10 to 15 minutes, according to
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
s.
External links
Leonid meteors may spawn 'glowworms' CNN Science and Space
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Meteoroids