[meteorite-list] Mystery object in photo

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Dec 7 20:12:04 2004
Message-ID: <200412080111.RAA04634_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>
> The Peekskill fall is not difficult to model. The recovered piece was
> falling nearly vertically at the end. It traveled 50 km after the end of
> ablation because at that point its path was nearly horizontal, and it was
> still at about 3 km/s. But that forward velocity was quickly lost to
> atmospheric drag.

No need to model, the Peekskill meteorite left a hole in the car trunk, and
the angle of that hole was definitely at a large angle away from vertical.
 
> I don't know the details of the Nakhla fall, but I would be suspicious of
> witness reports giving 30 degrees from the horizontal. There is really no
> mechanism to explain how any ballistic object that has slowed to a few km/s
> while still 30 km or more high could have significant horizontal velocity
> when it reached the ground (unless it were falling in a hurricane!)

Here's the entry angle of Nakhla as reported by John Ball in 1912:

  "The direction of approach of the object was from the northwest, and
   its track, marked by a column of white smoke, is said to have been
   inclined only some 30 degrees to the horizontal."

Then there is the Neagan meteorite, which landed in Japan in 1995, and also
hit a car. The hole in the car created by the impact was analyzed,
and the direction of the fall and impact angle were detemined.
The Neagan meteorite hit the car at an angle of 40 degrees from the
horizontal. You can see the report here:

http://earth.s.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/ishiwata/labo/neagariUS.html

So, Peekskill, Nakhla and Neagan are three examples of a meteorite not landing
vertically (straignt down).

Ron Baalke
Received on Tue 07 Dec 2004 08:11:59 PM PST