This Lucky Police Officer Caught Footage Of A Meteor Shower On Their Dashcam
According to NASA, about thirty meteor showers occur each year that are visible from Earth. And, thousands of people in the United States snuggle up outside each year in hopes of witnessing the celestial event.
With light pollution plaguing much of the United States, viewers flock to natural and uninhabited locations to catch the showers.
Accuweather reported that some of the best places to see meteor showers include Big Bend National Park in Texas, Joshua Tree National Park in California, and the Finger Lakes in New York.
But, on February 17, one lucky police officer caught a glimpse of a meteor in an unlikely city– Austin, Texas.
The falling meteor, seen racing behind clouds and accompanied by a glowing green light, was caught on a Travis County police officer’s dashcam.
“A meteor caught on dashcam! How cool is THAT?!” the Travis County Sheriff posted on Twitter, along with the dashcam footage.
Besides light pollution, meteor showers are historically difficult to capture due to their unpredictability– making this officer’s accidental encounter an extremely fortunate event.
In fact, the Almanac’s 2022 Meteor Shower Calendar did not even have a February shower prediction on record.
Twitter; pictured above is the meteor caught by the officer’s dashcam
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As for why the meteor appeared green, this color differentiation is due to the specific chemical makeup of the meteor.
For example, a red meteor is primarily made of nitrogen and oxygen, while a purple meteor is mainly made of calcium.
However, the green hue that this officer witnessed means the meteor’s chemical makeup was primarily magnesium.
In addition, according to the American Meteorological Society, “the faster a meteor moves, the more intense the color may appear.” Perhaps that is why the officer’s meteor footage is so strikingly green.
If you are interested in witnessing the next meteor shower, April’s Lyrid meteors are on their way. The predicted peak for this shower is April 22, 2022. Bring a friend or family member and don’t forget your camera!
To watch the original dashcam footage, visit the link here.
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