[meteorite-list] The Close Asteroid Shave & One That Got Swallowed

From: Mark Fox <unclefireballmtf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:34 2004
Message-ID: <20020623193528.10928.qmail_at_web14905.mail.yahoo.com>

June 23, 2002

Greetings Meteorite Enthusiasts!

Asteroid 2002 MN. This chunk of rock is said to have
come as close as 0.00078 AU from earth, and was caught
sight of at an embarrassing time. If it had smacked
earth, we would have felt it. However, let us not
forget that since 2002 MN was a NEO roughly the size
of a soccer or football field, a lot of researchers
were not bothering to look for asteroids of that size!
Most, as overwhelmed as they no doubt feel, are
concentrating their efforts on locating drifting
boulders the size of a kilometer or more. Finding
2002 MN was more or less a lucky shot.

With that in mind, let us not neglect to mention the
ones that did hit in modern times (and I do not always
mean Tunguska). Take a closer look at the beautiful
Sikhote-Alin fragments that adorn many collections
(including my sister's). We may not think of it, but
the fireball that brought that meteoritic material to
earth made quite a mess, big craters and all! Trees
were lodged with them and some of the pieces were
actually altered to shrapnel. Talk about hot and cold
meteorites, many were most certainly not as cold as
Siberia when they tore up the forest, I can say that!
But, perhaps the most startling thing that comes to
mind is the manner in which they did fall. To me, a
meteoritic machine gun may help paint the picture. Oh
yes, if that same event fell in a large city, you
would indeed see people trembling today at the news of
asteroid 2002 MN.

Long strewn fields!

Mark Fox
Newaygo, MI USA



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Received on Sun 23 Jun 2002 03:35:28 PM PDT