[meteorite-list] 240 pound SHREWSBURY "Meteor"

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007 20:18:51 -0500
Message-ID: <0c7601c78f7c$824ba260$f54de146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi, Rob, List,

    Loss of mass by ablation varies with the speed
of the "incoming" object, the faster the more rapid
the loss. This is probably why "cometary" material
has never produced a meteorite on the ground that
we know of.

    In theory, ablation should increase with the
square of the velocity, but there are so many other
factors, that's only an approximation. A steeper
descent doesn't help; generally, it increases the
ablative loss.

    Most of the mass of a meteoroid is going to end
up in the dust trail as ablation slows it. If the meteoroid
breaks up, the smaller pieces will slow down more
quickly and that may reduce the total ablative loss,
if the breakup is not too early nor too late.

    A 90% loss is probably more like the minimum...

    Whoops! Just saw Chris's post. I will just point at
it and finish up with --- "What he said..."


Sterling K. Webb
--------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: rob szep
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] 240 pound SHREWSBURY "Meteor"


Pleasant greetings fellow list-members...

In reading the posting to the "list" regarding the "SHREWSBURY HOME-COMING"
I was a bit surprized to see the claim that according to scientists 90% of a
METEOR is LOST during atmospheric passage, meaning the Shrewsbury meteor was
240 pounds in weight as it entered our atmosphere...

I'm not buying it... Ablation MIGHT result in a ~15% weight loss but that
hypothetical 90% guess - which is all it is - sounds a wee-bit excessive to
me.

Anyone else care to share their thoughts on the matter?


                                                                             
                                "Zep", over & out...
Received on Sat 05 May 2007 09:18:51 PM PDT