[meteorite-list] Apparent Meteorite Lands In Elma High

From: Walter Branch <branchw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:21:06 2004
Message-ID: <042101c34cd0$81776560$d8c59f44_at_b4b9e1>

Hi Marcia,

As I note on my website, I think the notion of a "hot" meteorite is a myth,
born by seeing too many Hollywood movies. IMHO, when a meteorite lands it
has lost most if not all of the heat that was generated by atmospheric
flight. They are not "hot" when they land.

In the case of Columbia, here is the cynic in me. In addition to the real
danger of possible injury from certain chemicals reaching the ground, NASA
had to say that because somebody could have claimed that they were somehow
"hurt" by picking up some debris, thus forming the basis for a lawsuit. By
making a public warning, NASA was making it less likely that they would have
a successful lawsuit filed against it.

-Walter


------------------------------------------
www.branchmeteorites.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Marcia Swanson" <MJSOfArc_at_webtv.net>
To: <MrX3010_at_aol.com>; <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Apparent Meteorite Lands In Elma High


> Mr. X wrote, maybe it was hot ashalt that boy burnt his hand on......
> Dear List and Mr.X,
> Another thought, wouldn't the samples we've seen have been coated in
> that same melted asphalt, hot enough to melt divets in surface,
> supposedly landed on, if their story is accurate?
> Just another thought. I was under naive understanding that meteorites
> did not burn hot to the touch, upon falling and could be picked right
> up, as in stories I read during the PF strewnfield incident and others?
> Do they rapidly cool after initial impact ? Also, why, in the case of
> the "Columbia" retrieval, were people warned not to touch fragments, as
> they were hazardous? Could someone enlighten me? I'm asking questions,
> because I dont know. Hope this last question doesn't turn out to be
> Governmentally Political ! Cripes!Thanks, and Rgards, Marcie
>
>
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Received on Thu 17 Jul 2003 10:01:30 PM PDT