[meteorite-list] Question about Meteorites on the Moon
From: Mark Miconi <mam602_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:52:22 2004 Message-ID: <003201c24ccc$73785320$54b60344_at_ph.cox.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_002F_01C24C91.C6E72080 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello all, Tonight my 8 year old son Christopher and I were out looking at the moon = with our wholly inadequate telescope. It is fine for looking at the moon = but lacks the optics needed for much else.=20 Anyways he is a very smart kid and asked me a couple of questions that I = could not answer and I told him I would ask you all. First he wanted to know if a meteor hits the moon is it technically a = meteorite or are only meteors that hit the earth called a meteorite? My = answer was that once a meteoriod hits a terrestrial body it is = technically a meteorite. Second he wanted to know what if any changes would occur to a meteorite = once it is on the moon?=20 He is very smart and understands that weathering and a general erosion = begins once a meteorite hits the earth due to the actions of our = atmosphere, wind and rain. He was wondering if it were common place to = go to the moon easily and find meteorites if they would be pristine or = would solar winds, and other impacts by space dust, micrometeorites and = the such erode them? And if the swings in temperature extremes that can = occur on the moon effect them in any way. My answer was that they would probably change a bit over time, but the = amount of time that would be needed to cause any changes would be = exponentially greater than that of earth. The third question he asked was since there is virtually no weather on = the moon to stir up dust and bury them meteorites would it be harder to = find meteorites on the moon? My answer was that since there is no = atmosphere to slow their descent that the impact speed would probably = determine whether the meteorites would end up buried deeper in the = surface and it would also depend on whether or not they would even = survive the impact. And last but not least he asked since the moon is smaller than earth = would the density/number of meteorites on the moon be less than that of = the earth? My answer was I would ask the experts on this list. (I took = the easy way out on that one!)I told him that without an atmosphere to = burn up any potential meteors that might hit the moon though it was = smaller more would make it to the surface than on earth, but that = without that same atmosphere to slow them down, many more would probably = not survive the impact and would end up pulverized to dust by the = impact. I would really appreciate everyone's input. I will relay the answers to = him, at 8 years old I do not think I can allow him unfettered access to = the list due to the adult disturberences that sometimes take place on = the list. Please do not get too technical, although he is very smart, he recently = tested 2 grades above the 3rd grade that the school board is insisting = he remains in. He is in a program for gifted children and attends 4th = grade math classes because he passed the third grade math program last = year. School has started here already in Arizona and he is going to be = tested in mid September to allow him to skip 3rd grade altogether. I forward alot of the space news to him that is released and posted here = and loves everything there is about space and meteorites. He will be absolutely thrilled to read your responses to his questions. I thank you ahead of time. Mark and Christopher Miconi Phoenix AZ ------=_NextPart_000_002F_01C24C91.C6E72080 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.3314.2100" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello all,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tonight my 8 year old son Christopher = and I were=20 out looking at the moon with our wholly inadequate telescope. It is fine = for=20 looking at the moon but lacks the optics needed for much else. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anyways he is a very smart kid and = asked me a=20 couple of questions that I could not answer and I told him I would ask = you=20 all.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>First he wanted to know if a meteor = hits the moon=20 is it technically a meteorite or are only meteors that hit the earth = called a=20 meteorite? My answer was that once a meteoriod hits a terrestrial body = it is=20 technically a meteorite.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Second he wanted to know what if any = changes would=20 occur to a meteorite once it is on the moon? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>He is very smart and understands that = weathering=20 and a general erosion begins once a meteorite hits the earth due to the = actions=20 of our atmosphere, wind and rain. He was wondering if it were = common place=20 to go to the moon easily and find meteorites if they would be = pristine or=20 would solar winds, and other impacts by space dust, micrometeorites and = the such=20 erode them? And if the swings in temperature extremes that can occur on = the moon=20 effect them in any way.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My answer was that they would probably = change a bit=20 over time, but the amount of time that would be needed to cause any = changes=20 would be exponentially greater than that of earth.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The third question he asked was = since there is=20 virtually no weather on the moon to stir up dust and bury them = meteorites would=20 it be harder to find meteorites on the moon? My answer was that since = there is=20 no atmosphere to slow their descent that the impact speed would probably = determine whether the meteorites would end up buried deeper in the = surface and=20 it would also depend on whether or not they would even survive the=20 impact.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And last but not least he asked since = the moon is=20 smaller than earth would the density/number of meteorites on the moon be = less=20 than that of the earth? My answer was I would ask the experts on = this=20 list. (I took the easy way out on that one!)I told him that without an=20 atmosphere to burn up any potential meteors that might hit the moon = though it=20 was smaller more would make it to the surface than on earth, but that = without=20 that same atmosphere to slow them down, many more would probably not = survive the=20 impact and would end up pulverized to dust by the impact.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I would really appreciate everyone's = input. I will=20 relay the answers to him, at 8 years old I do not think I can allow him=20 unfettered access to the list due to the adult disturberences that = sometimes=20 take place on the list.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Please do not get too technical, = although he is=20 very smart, he recently tested 2 grades above the 3rd grade that the = school=20 board is insisting he remains in. He is in a program for gifted children = and=20 attends 4th grade math classes because he passed the third grade math = program=20 last year. School has started here already in Arizona and he is going to = be=20 tested in mid September to allow him to skip 3rd grade = altogether.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I forward alot of the space news to him = that is=20 released and posted here and loves everything there is about space and=20 meteorites.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>He will be absolutely thrilled to read = your=20 responses to his questions.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I thank you ahead of time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark and Christopher = Miconi</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Phoenix AZ</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_002F_01C24C91.C6E72080-- Received on Mon 26 Aug 2002 02:47:31 AM PDT |
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