[meteorite-list] A "Strike" with a spare ball

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From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:45 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86904EE5A1E_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

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On the subject of dropping objects from high places:

> On Feb. 13 a single-engine Cessna flew low over the Utah desert toward the

> Bonneville Seabase at 80 knots. Pilot Patrick Wiggins checked his
altimeter.
> As planned, he was just 820 feet (250 meters) above the surface.

At this low altitude, the bowling ball would only have reached a velocity of
70 m/sec in a vacuum -- a bit less going through air. But isn't typical
terminal
velocity for a good-sized meteorite more like 200 m/sec? If so, then the
drop
altitude would need to be over 2000 meters (over 6500 feet) to reach
terminal
velocity.

> Wiggins hopes to make the next drop at more than a half-mile up (1,000
meters),
> from where an object should achieve "terminal velocity," or top vertical
speed,
> zooming straight down and having lost all its horizontal movement induced
> by the airplane ride.

At 1000-meter altitude, the bowling ball only has time to get up to 140
m/sec,
which is probably fine for a smaller meteorite, but larger ones will be
faster.

--Rob

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<BODY>
<DIV>On the subject of
dropping objects from high places:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> On
Feb. 13 a single-engine Cessna flew low over the Utah desert toward the </DIV>
<DIV>>
Bonneville Seabase at 80 knots. Pilot Patrick Wiggins checked his
altimeter. </DIV>
<DIV>> As planned, he was just 820 feet (250 meters)
above the surface. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At
this low altitude, the bowling ball would only have reached a velocity
of</DIV>
<DIV>70
m/sec in a vacuum -- a bit less going through air.  But
isn't typical
terminal</DIV>
<DIV>velocity
for a good-sized meteorite more
like 200 m/sec?  If so, then the
drop</DIV>
<DIV>altitude would need to be over 2000 meters (over 6500 feet) to
reach terminal</DIV>
<DIV>velocity.   </DIV>
<DIV>> Wiggins hopes to
make the next drop at more than a half-mile up (1,000 meters), </DIV>
<DIV>>
from where an object should achieve "terminal velocity," or top vertical
speed, </DIV>
<DIV>>
zooming straight down and having lost all its horizontal movement induced </DIV>
<DIV>> by the airplane ride. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At 1000-meter altitude, the bowling ball only has time to get
up to 140
m/sec,</DIV>
<DIV>which
is
probably fine for a smaller meteorite, but larger ones will be
faster.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>--Rob</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Tue 02 Mar 2004 06:21:51 PM PST

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