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Re: Bolide size vs. recovered stones
- To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
- Subject: Re: Bolide size vs. recovered stones
- From: Phil Bagnall <Phil@ticetboo.demon.co.uk>
- Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 12:56:35 GMT
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- Reply-To: Phil@ticetboo.demon.co.uk
- Resent-Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 10:52:13 -0500 (EST)
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In your message dated Wednesday 25, February 1998 you wrote :
> George (Geozay) mentioned a post in which he felt a -15 bolide produced
> a meteorite. This makes me wonder if we REALLY have a good idea of just
> how large a bolide produces a recoverable meteorite.
It would be useful to get rid of this obsolete term "bolide" as it has no real
scientific meaning.
The brightness of a fireball - how "big" it apparently is - depends on several
factors such as entry velocity and angle, and the composition and structure of
the meteoroid. We've known since at least the 1970s that most fireballs are
fragile objects that do not result in meteorite falls.
Some meteorite falls are associated with very bright, large fireballs - others
aren't. There are a lot of factors to be taken into account and no one can point
to a fireball and state that it is going to drop a meteorite. Life just isn't
that simple!
--
Phil Bagnall
http://www.ticetboo.demon.co.uk/