[meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???

From: Darryl S. Futrell <futrelds_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:41:08 2004
Message-ID: <028401c09379$c44424e0$3a4d173f_at_pavilion>

-----Original Message-----
From: Meteordealer <meteor.dealer_at_gte.net>
To: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
<Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2001 12:26 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???


I know this has been discussed over the years in the past, but don't recall
to what degree. My thought is that metals more readily conduct heat into
their interiors. An iron meteorite of an ideal diameter (I have no idea
offhand of what an "ideal" size would be) falling at a speed where it
retains some cosmic velocity all the way to the ground, seems most likely to
remain hot to the touch, until the heat is lost by radiation and conduction
after it reaches the ground. A metal poor chondrite stone, on the other
hand, is only generally heated to a depth of a few mm, and can still be
plenty cold in their interiors when they land. Ice crystals can sometimes
quickly form on their surfaces.
Darryl
Received on Sat 10 Feb 2001 10:53:59 AM PST