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

From: David Freeman <dfreeman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:41:08 2004
Message-ID: <3A85BA69.ED742233_at_fascination.com>

Dear All hot rockers,
It would be an interesting test to drop a 1/2 pound red hot chunk of iron (lop
off a fresh chunk with a torch) and drop it from an airplane at 10 miles
up(terminal break up altitude). If someone could be there when it landed and
grab it up, I still bet it would be cold enough to grab up instantly.
Next time anyone in North America (or where it is 32 degrees or colder out, goes
for a drive in the family car, stick your bare arm out the window when you think
you are driving the speed of a falling meteorite, you will be amazed at how cold
your arm will get in just one minute of air/heat exchange. Not only would the
iron transfer heat quickly but would transfer cooling/cold quickly as well.
"Wind Chill" comes to mind and as soon as the ablation ceased, the cooling would
come on dramatically.
Any pilot here ever use a torch? Experiment would be fun. The cold iron
aerolite could be sold on ebay as "iron that fell from the sky", and would pay
for the aviation fuel and the blow torch...
Cold rocker,
Dave F.

Robert Beauford wrote:

> Flames and glowing reports aside, would it be reasonable to assume that a
> meteorite that has very freshly fallen might under certain circumstances
> have a slightly warm exterior (after all, it might have a substantial amount
> of fusion crust of material that has been vitrified from the heat of
> atmospheric passage and actually stayed with the object... ie: not yet
> ablated), and that shortly after being on the surface (seconds or minutes),
> the temperature would equalize to a much cooler temperature as the warmth
> from the surface was absorbed by the sub-zero interior? OR would the
> temperature of the surface already have equalized to below freezing during
> the few seconds of fall at terminal velocity after the object has fallen
> below incandescent speeds?
> This might explain some of the warm/cold discrepancy in reports.
> How many objects are known that have actually been touched this quickly
> after entry?
> -Robert : )
>
> > I remember reading an article not too long ago about the ALH84001
> meteorite.
> > The experiment was to prove that bacteria could survive the enty to earth
> > without heating to much. When magnetite is free here on earth it orients
> > itself to the magnetic poles. The magnetite on the inside of the
> meteorite
> > was not oriented yet. The researchers then proceeded to heat the
> meteorite
> > until it was hot enough for it to orient itself. They found that once it
> > got up to around 100 degrees fahrenhite the magnetite would reorient
> itself.
> > In comparison that's about how hot you car would get on hot summer day.
> The
> > outside of the meteorite does get very hot. That's how fusion crust is
> > formed. But what's been show to happen is once the material gets hot
> enough
> > it ablates away leaving the ice cold rock that has been floating around in
> > the coldness of space for billions of years.
> >
> > Rhett Bourland
> > www.evansville.net/~rbourlan
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com
> > [mailto:meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com]On Behalf Of
> > Meteordealer
> > Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 2:43 AM
> > To: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???
> >
> >
> > So why is it exactly that meteorites are believed to be cold when they
> > fall? The exterior skin of supersonic aircraft becomes so hot during
> flight
> > that people are unable to touch them when they land. They actually have to
> > sit and cool down before the pilots can exit them. From what i understand
> > this is due to the air friction that the aircraft undergoes during high
> > speed flight. Why wouldn't the same thing happen to a meteorite? Also, why
> > would space junk be hot after entering the atmosphere but not meteorites??
> >
> > Brad Sampson
> > meteor.dealer_at_gte.net
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Freeman" <dfreeman_at_fascination.com>
> > To: "Walter Branch" <waltbranch_at_earthlink.net>
> > Cc: <Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 8:13 PM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???
> >
> >
> > > Dear Walter and All,
> > > So, is this how some sleeping dogs die and some do not, by the "flame"
> of
> > > the rock?
> > > Dog lives!
> > > Ruff,
> > > Dave F.
> > >
> > > Walter Branch wrote:
> > >
> > > > > > 16-year old Shawn Coleman was walking home from a friends hour--
> > > > > > when he saw something shooting down from the sky--into his front
> > > > > > yard. Shawn kicked snow on the flaming rock to cool it off--then
> > > > > > ran in to show his family.
> > > > >
> > > > > When is this myth about hot meteorites going to die??!
> > > > > "Flaming rocks"? We have Hollywood to thank for this
> > > > > misconception. --Rob
> > > >
> > > > Maybe this is how Egyptian dogs get turned into ashes. . .
> > > >
> > > > (please, I'm only kidding)
> > > >
> > > > -Walter
> > > >
> > > > -------------------------------------------------
> > > > Walter Branch, Ph.D.
> > > > Branch Meteorites
> > > > 322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B
> > > > Savannah, GA 31405 USA
> > > > http://branchmeteorites.com
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Matson, Robert" <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_saic.com>
> > > > To: <Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > > > Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 2:36 PM
> > > > Subject: [meteorite-list] "Flaming rocks"???
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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Received on Sat 10 Feb 2001 05:02:18 PM PST