meteoron

Meteoron is a term that appears in various contexts but does not correspond to a single, widely recognized scientific entity. In real-world science, there is no approved particle, field, or material named meteoron, and references to it are mostly found in speculative or fictional material. The name is typically used to denote something associated with meteoric phenomena, especially a hypothetical unit of energy or matter linked to meteors or atmospheric entry.

In speculative physics and science fiction, meteoron is often described as a hypothetical elementary particle or energy quanta emitted during high-energy meteoric events. Some treatments portray meteoron as a carrier of luminous plasma, while others imagine it as a resource with unusual properties that enables advanced technologies or phenomena such as enhanced propulsion, energy storage, or spacetime effects. Because the term is not standardized, its properties vary by author or theorist.

Etymology: the coinage blends the word meteor with the -on suffix common to names of subatomic particles, signaling a supposed fundamental unit related to meteoric phenomena. The term has circulated mainly in fan glossaries, speculative essays, and works of fiction rather than peer-reviewed science.

See also: Meteor, Meteorite, Plasma, Atmospheric entry, Particle physics, Science fiction.