24/09/2001
Astronomers fear that a shower of meteors will damage satellites * Earth is expected to "encounter" a shower of meteors in the wake of a comet in November; Even a tiny grain may create an electrical charge that could disable a satellite; Some of the "meteor showers" are hundreds of years old
A 'rain' of meteors expected to occur in the coming months could damage satellites floating in space, fear space experts around the world. It is estimated that at least one satellite is down due to the expected rain in the middle of November. At least ten meteors per square kilometer will fall between November 17 and 19. The meteors are part of the cloud of the comet "Temple Total" which passes through the solar system every 33 years.
Most comet particles are smaller than a grain of sand and burn up upon entering the atmosphere, but the impact of a small grain can be disastrous for a satellite in space. Researcher Mark Bailey from the "Armagh" observatory in Northern Ireland explained that "such a particle can evaporate on impact and create plasma. This gas cloud, charged with an electric charge, can create a short circuit in the delicate electronic systems of the satellite."
Earth will pass through a number of different comet trails left at different points in time, some newer and some from hundreds of years ago. This year the Earth will "encounter" many meteor fragments from the 18th and 19th centuries and weak meteor streams from the 17th century.
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