[meteorite-list] 1972 fireball

From: Chris Peterson <clp_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Jan 17 20:05:17 2006
Message-ID: <034a01c61bcb$379b6640$f551040a_at_bellatrix>

It is uncertain if the meteoroid was massive enough to even survive to the
ground had it been on a steeper trajectory- probably not. Objects of similar
energy are recorded by satellites and infrasound arrays once or twice a
year. Had it reached the ground within a few hundred meters of where you
were standing, it would have ruined your day. But the crater wouldn't have
been big, and probably wouldn't have resulted in any serious problems.

It went back to space because that's what happens when bodies enter the
atmosphere at a very shallow angle- they skip just like a rock on a pond. I
have video of a number of skipping meteors.

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Arnold, Chicago!!" <steve_arnol60120_at_yahoo.com>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 5:06 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] 1972 fireball


> Hello again list.I seem to remember reading that if that fireball had hit
> the earth,we really would have been in alot of trouble.Is this true?They
> say that it was traveling at a fantastic rate of speed and was very
> large.I wonder what caused it to go back into space?Any thoughts?
Received on Tue 17 Jan 2006 08:05:05 PM PST