[meteorite-list] Incorrect trajectory in INGEMMET report & Wiki page?

From: Rob Matson <mojave_meteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 14:25:50 -0700
Message-ID: <GOEDJOCBMMEHLEFDHGMMMEPIDFAA.mojave_meteorites_at_cox.net>

Update and possible correction on the flight direction:

The INGEMMET initial report and the Wikipedia entry for the Carancas
meteorite both state that the flight direction was toward the NNE,
but I'm wondering if they are both 180 degrees off. Here's the
Wiki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Peruvian_meteorite_event

The applicable sentence: "The object moved in a direction toward N030E."
I suspect the source for this sentence is the INGEMMET initial report
which says, "Apparent displacement azimuth of the object: towards N030E."

Since the INGEMMET report got the GMT time wrong, I suppose it isn't a
stretch to assume they reversed the direction as well (or perhaps they
incorrectly translated from Spanish to English, replacing "from
N030E" with "towards N030E".) Whatever the case, it clearly doesn't
agree with this picture:

http://www.signs-of-the-times.org/image/image/3376/dn12704-3_800.jpg

So if this trajectory is correct, the motion is instead toward azimuth
210, and the meteoroid was on a *descending* node ecliptic crossing,
not ascending. For moderate entry angles, the radiant would have been
in Coma Berenices or Canes Venatici; Virgo for a steep entry angle;
Bootes for a very shallow one. Still means a slow to moderate
encounter velocity. --Rob
Received on Sat 06 Oct 2007 05:25:50 PM PDT