[meteorite-list] Apparent Meteorite Lands In Elma High

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:21:06 2004
Message-ID: <200307171652.JAA19322_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

> Just another thought. I was under naive understanding that meteorites
> did not burn hot to the touch, upon falling and could be picked right
> up, as in stories I read during the PF strewnfield incident and others?

Most meteorites will have cooled off by the time they reach the ground, though
in a few instances they still may be warm to the touch. They are not
hot enough to ignite fires upon impact. Also, meteorites
may get hot after they have landed if they are sitting out in the
open sun during a hot day (ie: Portales Valley).

> Do they rapidly cool after initial impact ?

They cool off in their free fall to the ground.

>Also, why, in the case of
> the "Columbia" retrieval, were people warned not to touch fragments, as
> they were hazardous? Could someone enlighten me?

Columbia carried chemicals from its science experiments and rocket
propellant, which may have contaminated some of the debris that made
it to the ground.

Ron Baalke
Received on Thu 17 Jul 2003 12:52:57 PM PDT