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Re: Bolide size versus recovered ...
- To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
- Subject: Re: Bolide size versus recovered ...
- From: Phil Bagnall <Phil@ticetboo.demon.co.uk>
- Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 22:57:52 GMT
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- Reply-To: Phil@ticetboo.demon.co.uk
- Resent-Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 17:04:32 -0500 (EST)
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In your message dated Friday 27, February 1998 you wrote :
> >It would be useful to get rid of this obsolete term
> > "bolide" as it has no real
> > scientific meaning.
>
> The term bolide was used quite extensively within the scientific
> community during the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts into Jupiter
> in 1994. It is far from being obsolete.
>
> Ron Baalke
Indeed it was used, and still is, or - to be more accurate - is misused.
"Obsolete" doesn't just mean "no longer used" it also means "out of date" and as
the term "bolide" was replaced by "fireball" by the IAU in 1961 it is out of
date.
I know that a "fireball" is a meteor brighter than mag.-4 (IAU Comm.22
definition), but what is a "bolide?" An exploding fireball? A very bright
fireball? An audible fireball? I've seen the term used to describe all these
phenomena! So, can anyone give me a cast iron definition and reference? I, for
one, would like to see bolide used instead of fireball but, until someone can
define the term, I'm not sure how it should be used!
--
Phil Bagnall
http://www.ticetboo.demon.co.uk/