[meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???

From: Walter Branch <waltbranch_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:41:08 2004
Message-ID: <015801c09396$640376e0$d05dbfa8_at_computer>

Why aren't meteorites hot or in "flames" when they fall?

The surface of meteorites ablate, thus taking the majority of heat away from
the falling meteor.

The suface of airplane wings do not ablate, thus the wings retain heat.

-Walter

-------------------------------------------------
Walter Branch, Ph.D.
Branch Meteorites
322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B
Savannah, GA 31405 USA
http://branchmeteorites.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Darryl S. Futrell" <futrelds_at_gte.net>
To: "Meteordealer" <meteor.dealer_at_gte.net>;
<Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???


>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Meteordealer <meteor.dealer_at_gte.net>
> To: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> <Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> Date: Saturday, February 10, 2001 12:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???
>
>
> I know this has been discussed over the years in the past, but don't
recall
> to what degree. My thought is that metals more readily conduct heat into
> their interiors. An iron meteorite of an ideal diameter (I have no idea
> offhand of what an "ideal" size would be) falling at a speed where it
> retains some cosmic velocity all the way to the ground, seems most likely
to
> remain hot to the touch, until the heat is lost by radiation and
conduction
> after it reaches the ground. A metal poor chondrite stone, on the other
> hand, is only generally heated to a depth of a few mm, and can still be
> plenty cold in their interiors when they land. Ice crystals can sometimes
> quickly form on their surfaces.
> Darryl
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Sat 10 Feb 2001 02:19:28 PM PST