About Sky Canvas Project:
- It is the world’s first artificial meteor shower project.
- The aim of the project will be to collect atmospheric data in the mesosphere.
- Under this project, meteor-replicating particles will be installed in a satellite 250 miles (400 km) up and then released over a designated area.
- These metallic particles will be spheres with a diameter of 0.4 inches (1 cm) and a mass of a few grams.
- The pea-sized balls have a secret chemical formula that causes them to light up from the friction of re-entry at speeds of up to five miles (8km) a second.
- ALE says they will travel more slowly and light up for longer than natural shooting stars - up to ten seconds each.
- They will be visible over a 125-mile (200 km) area.
- The ingredients in the pellets can be altered to change the colour, which means that a multi-coloured flotilla of shooting stars could be created.
What is Mesosphere?
- The mesosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere.
- It is directly above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.
- It extends from about 50 to 85 km (31 to 53 miles) above our planet.
- The transition between the mesosphere and the thermosphere is called
- Temperature decreases with height throughout the mesosphere.
- The coldest temperatures in Earth's atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near the top of this layer.
