What is the Sky Canvas Project?

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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 mesopause.
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.

Q1) What is a Meteor?

A meteor is a space rock or meteoroid that enters earth’s atmosphere. Meteor showers can be viewed from earth without the use of binoculars or a telescope. When meteor showers occur, they originate from one point in the sky. They happen when space debris enters the earth’s atmosphere

Source: Artificial meteor showers could soon be a reality: Report