Meteor Static

Many people spend a lot of money on products designed to keep their hair from getting too frizzy. But getting rid of the frizziness just could deprive them of the chance to hear something rare: the crackling of a bright meteor.
A meteor forms when a bit of space rock slams into Earth’s atmosphere. Friction causes it to vaporize, creating a streak of light. Bigger rocks form brighter streaks, known as fireballs.
Over the centuries, many people reported hearing faint sounds from especially bright fireballs — hissing, popping, or rustling sounds that were barely audible. But faint whispers couldn’t be direct sounds from the fireballs — they’re so high that it would take many minutes for any sounds to reach the ground.
So until a few decades ago, most scientists dismissed reports of meteor sounds. Edmond Halley, of Halley’s Comet fame, called them “pure fantasy.”
But in 1978, an Australian scientist concluded that the sounds were real, but not actual sounds from the meteor itself. Instead,