• teft@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Probably nickel and/or salts of barium. Copper burns blue as a pyrotechnic colorant.

      • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        7 months ago

        Ah ok. I was going to say nickel but I did a quick search and somehow I read that it was copper.

      • FellowEnt@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        7 months ago

        Depending on the salt you can make both blue and green. Copper sulphate flame test is a pretty common school lab practical isn’t it?

    • Pennomi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      7 months ago

      A lot of spaceship debris looks like this because copper is used in a lot of rocket engines.

    • perestroika@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      7 months ago

      Alternatively or additionally, I think oxygen plasma glows blue or green, because northern lights (near the poles, at least) are greenish.

    • LostXOR@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      7 months ago

      They’re not necessarily accidental (for example, taking long exposures during a meteor shower), but yes the vast majority of meteor pictures are by chance. A few meteors have been detected just before entry and photographed but that number is in the single digits.

      • Klear@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        Also it’s mentioned for emphasis. It may seem obvious but it’s worth pointing out.

    • acetanilide@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 months ago

      I don’t understand why they call it an “accident”. The camera was set up and taking timed pictures. I just don’t think “accident” is accurate