meteor
Meaning: The streak of light produced when a small piece of space debris burns up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere, commonly known as a shooting star.
It is important to distinguish a meteor (the luminous phenomenon in the atmosphere) from a meteoroid (the object in space before entry) and a meteorite (the fragment that survives to reach the ground). Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through trails of debris left by comets. The adjective 'meteoric' is widely used figuratively to describe a rapid, dramatic rise — a meteoric career, for instance.
Examples
- The Perseid meteor shower, peaking each August, is one of the most reliable displays visible from Britain. 英仙座流星雨每年八月达到极大,是从英国可以看到的最稳定的天文景观之一。La lluvia de meteoros de las Perseidas, que alcanza su máximo cada agosto, es una de las exhibiciones más fiables visibles desde Gran Bretaña.毎年8月にピークを迎えるペルセウス座流星群は、イギリスから観測できる最も安定した天体ショーの一つである。매년 8월에 절정에 달하는 페르세우스 유성우는 영국에서 관측할 수 있는 가장 안정적인 천체 쇼 중 하나이다.
- A bright meteor lit up the night sky over southern England, prompting hundreds of reports to the UK Meteor Network. 一颗明亮的流星照亮了英格兰南部的夜空,促使数百人向英国流星网络报告。Un brillante meteoro iluminó el cielo nocturno del sur de Inglaterra, lo que generó cientos de informes a la Red de Meteoros del Reino Unido.明るい流星がイングランド南部の夜空を照らし、英国流星ネットワークに数百件の報告が寄せられた。밝은 유성이 잉글랜드 남부의 밤하늘을 밝히며, 영국 유성 네트워크에 수백 건의 보고가 접수되었다.
- Scientists analysed the trajectory of the meteor to determine whether any fragments might have reached the ground. 科学家们分析了流星的轨迹,以确定是否有碎片可能到达了地面。Los científicos analizaron la trayectoria del meteoro para determinar si algún fragmento podría haber alcanzado el suelo.科学者たちは流星の軌道を分析し、破片が地表に到達した可能性があるかどうかを判定した。과학자들은 유성의 궤적을 분석하여 파편이 지표면에 도달했을 가능성이 있는지를 판단했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, scientific, general
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek meteōron meaning 'thing in the air' or 'celestial phenomenon,' derived from meta- (beyond) and aeirein (to lift). Originally applied to any atmospheric phenomenon, it narrowed to its current astronomical sense by the 19th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from General Advanced
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free