[meteorite-list] Russian meteor composition

From: Rob Matson <mojave_meteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:51:41 -0800
Message-ID: <000301ce0c87$6bfeebf0$43fcc3d0$_at_cox.net>

Hi All,

Getting back to the Russian meteor itself, what I find most surprising so far is
that after two full days of daylight hours to search for fragments against a
fairly white background, not one meteorite has been found. The prevailing
wisdom ~had~ been that this was an iron, given the deep penetration and
seemingly minimal deceleration. But with nothing found so far -- in spite of
the relatively low entry velocity, shallow trajectory, and huge initial mass --
I begin to question that initial compositional assumption. Maybe this was
closer to Tunguska-like than it was Sikhote-Alin-like (i.e. cometary). That
said, the initial estimate of the orbit doesn't appear to be very comet-like
(low semi-major axis). The period is lower than that of even 2P/Encke.

 --Rob
Received on Sat 16 Feb 2013 03:51:41 PM PST