[meteorite-list] Re: New Naklha Dog Evidence

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:55:50 2004
Message-ID: <200201221746.JAA29038_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>OK, what's new? Not that Mohammed saw a "fearful column" that no one else
>saw in Denshal.

Yes, that is true, not everyone reported seeing a smoke column. But then again, not
eveyone in El Nahkla reported seeing a smoke column either, or even reported hearing
the detonations. In particular, a 1.32 kg fragment of the meteorite landed
about 50 meters from an eye witness in El Nakhla, yet he did not report any
smoke columns or detonations. From Hume's paper:

   The first specimen sent in to the Survey Department, was observed
   to fall by Mohammad Abu Siam in an open space....He appears to have
   been some fifty metres from the spot, and noticed a cloud of dust
   suddenly raised by an object striking the ground. He does not
   appear to to have noted any special pecularities in other respects....
   The specimen has a total weight of 1,320 grams.

>but in the end the Nakhla fall was one of the most investigated falls in history

The fact remains that observations of smoke columns, detonations and falling rocks
were reported from both El Nakhla AND Denshal. Yet there was no fieldwork done
at all in Denshal by any qualified personnel. The investigation in 1911 on the Nakhal
fall was far from being complete or as thorough as it could have been.

Ron Baalke
Received on Tue 22 Jan 2002 12:46:33 PM PST