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shooting star |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Financial, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.01 sec. |
shooting star, in astronomyshooting star, in astronomy: see meteor meteor, appearance of a small particle flying through space that interacts with the earth's upper atmosphere. While still outside the atmosphere, the particle is known as a meteoroid. Countless meteoroids of varying sizes are moving about the solar system at any time...... Click the link for more information. . shooting star, in botanyshooting star, in botany: see primrose primrose, common name for the genus Primula of the Primulaceae, a family of low perennial herbs with species found on all continents, most frequently in north temperate regions...... Click the link for more information. . meteoror shooting star or falling starStreak of light in the sky that results when a particle or small chunk of stony or metallic matter from space enters Earth's atmosphere and is vapourized by friction. The term is sometimes applied to the falling object itself, properly called a meteoroid. Most meteoroids, traveling at five times the speed of sound or more, burn up in the upper atmosphere, but a large one may survive its fiery plunge and reach the surface as a solid body (meteorite). See also meteor shower. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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But very early in the morning poor Ogilvy, who had seen the shooting star and who was persuaded that a meteorite lay somewhere on the common between Horsell, Ottershaw, and Woking, rose early with the idea of finding it. "I wonder whether it's a shooting star," remarked Miss Dorn. The sword flew from his hand like a shooting star, and dived into the distant river. |
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