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Murray

Hello John and List,

Thank you, John, for this interesting sequence of
reports on the Murray CM2 carbonaceous chondrite!

Murray, CM2
Calloway County, Kentucky, U.S.A.
36° 36' N / 088° 06' W
Fell 1950, September 20, 01:35 hrs

5.80 kg, Washington, U.S. Nat. Mus.
3.55kg, Tempe, Arizona State Univ.
267g, Vienna, Naturhist. Mus.
124g, Chicago, Field Mus. Nat. Hist.
21.4 g BM London (interior, uncrusted fragment), 125,8 g.

A fireball was seen and a loud explosion heard; thirty seconds later a
shower of fragments fell 9 miles E. of Murray, near Wildcat Creek on
Kentucky Lake. The total recovered was 7 kg, the largest fragment
weighing 3.4 kg; further material was collected later, to a total of
12.6 kg.

Quote 1: " The meteor is believed to have landed somewhere near
Nashville, Tennessee and is believed to be of huge proportions."

Quote 2: "A fantastically large meteor blazed across this area ..."

Quote 3: "a huge, fiery object"

Quote 4: "the object appeared to be about two feet thick and four feet
long"


These quotes excellently illustrate the difference between the
apparent magnitude of the accompanying light phenomena and
the real dimensions of the cosmic intruders.

NORTON O.R. (1998) RFS II, p. 48: "Though the rock may not be more
than a foot ot two in diameter when first entering the atmosphere,
the glowing air mass surrounding it may measure hundreds of feet
across. This is the fireball seen from Earth - a mass of glowing hot
gas."

Thus the Vilna, Alberta, Canada (L5) chondrite that fell in 1967,
produced only two small crusted fragments, 48mg + 94mg respectively,
that were recovered from snow on a small lake, although the atmospheric
effects were considerable.
Sound phenomena were heard at a distance of up to 70 km and the
meteoroid produced a fireball pulsing in intensity because it probably
rotated. It lasted for 7 seceonds, reached magnitude - 9 (Venus is about
-4 when at its brightest) after 4 seconds and ended in a terminal burst
of -10 (Full Moon is -12).




 
Two beautiful, almost philosophic statements well worth remembering:

"It takes only a simple display of nature to show man that his efforts,
no matter how powerful or successful, can in no way reach or compare
with the terrific and incredible force of Nature. Man's efforts seem
puny and weak in comparison."

"We think it a good and healthy thing when Nature shows itself in the
hurricane, the sea and the display of heavenly bodies. Man is reminded
that there is a force greater than himself, and that there is something
more to be gained from one's life on this earth than worldly goods."

Best regards,

Bernd

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