[meteorite-list] Extinction-level Asteroid Impact Simulation Video

From: Michael Gilmer <michael_w_gilmer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:05:48 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <743902.97280.qm_at_web58401.mail.re3.yahoo.com>

Hi List!

My apologies if this has been posted previously.

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2008/09/09

It's a video showing a simulation of a 500km asteroid striking Earth.

Enjoy!

MikeG

.........................................................
Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale
..........................................................



--- On Fri, 9/19/08, meteorite-list-request at meteoritecentral.com <meteorite-list-request at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:

> From: meteorite-list-request at meteoritecentral.com <meteorite-list-request at meteoritecentral.com>
> Subject: Meteorite-list Digest, Vol 59, Issue 25
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 8:58 PM
> Send Meteorite-list mailing list submissions to
> meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body
> 'help' to
> meteorite-list-request at meteoritecentral.com
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> meteorite-list-owner at meteoritecentral.com
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more
> specific
> than "Re: Contents of Meteorite-list digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. CHASSIGNITE - No Reserve / IM CHAIT AUCTION
> THIS SUNDAY
> (Darryl Pitt)
> 2. BAD LINK? / CHASSIGNITE - No Reserve / IM
> CHAIT AUCTION THIS
> SUNDAY (Darryl Pitt)
> 3. IM CHAIT AUCTION THIS SUNDAY
> (bernd.pauli at paulinet.de)
> 4. Ziz Meteorite Photographs - Link (Jason Utas)
> 5. Re: Ziz Meteorite Photographs - Link
> (bernd.pauli at paulinet.de)
> 6. Mars Exploration Rovers Update - September 4-11, 2008
> (Ron Baalke)
> 7. Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images: September 15-19, 2008
> (Ron Baalke)
> 8. AD - Looking to TRADE ZAG (David & Kitt Deyarmin)
> 9. Scientists Debate Planet Definition and Agree
> to Disagree
> (Ron Baalke)
> 10. Scientists hope to land spacecraft on asteroid
> (Darren Garrison)
> 11. AD : FOR SALE - MAPS Journal April 2008 (Michael
> Gilmer)
> 12. Re: the denver show (PHOTOS!) (Bob Loeffler)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:45:01 -0400
> From: Darryl Pitt <darryl at dof3.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] CHASSIGNITE - No Reserve / IM
> CHAIT AUCTION
> THIS SUNDAY
> To: meteorite-list List
> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID:
> <DF39E0C1-4ACD-4DD0-83E3-A41A696B6A43 at dof3.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes;
> format=flowed
>
>
>
> With gratitude to Adam Hupe's for his plug of the IM
> CHAIT auction
> taking place this Sunday.
>
> Meteorites commence with lot 216
>
>
> LOT 229 / CHASSIGNITE - NWA 2737 / small complete
> slice...and cheap!!
> LOT 226 / CK-ANOM - Ningqiang / fragment with crust of the
> most
> exotic Chinese meteorite
> LOT 217 / LUNAR - NWA 482 / with crust and a low reserve.
> LOT 218 / LUNAR - SHIS,R 160 / the recently named lunar
> found by Mike
> Farmer and Robert Ward earlier this year. Complete
> Slice--and nearly
> all the material is gone.
>
>
> http://www.chait.com/asp/searchresults.asp?pg=6&ps=50
>
> Also featuring Fukang, Campo, Gibeon, Imilac, Glorieta
> (pallasite)
> and more.
>
>
> Enjoy!!
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:51:53 -0400
> From: Darryl Pitt <darryl at dof3.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] BAD LINK? / CHASSIGNITE - No
> Reserve / IM
> CHAIT AUCTION THIS SUNDAY
> To: meteorite-list List
> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID:
> <1C07DCFE-4D9B-4946-9593-BEBA5BFA388D at dof3.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes;
> format=flowed
>
>
>
> Hi there!
>
> I've received a couple of emails which have indicated
> that the link
> provided below is not working. I regret the inconvenience.
>
> Should you be experiencing difficulty, please go to:
>
> http://www.chait.com
>
> ---Then click on the Natural History catalog
>
> ---Then click the link for LOTS 200-250 at the top of the
> page
>
>
> All best,
>
> Darryl
>
>
> ===========================
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Darryl Pitt <darryl at dof3.com>
> > Date: September 19, 2008 1:45:01 PM EDT
> > To: meteorite-list List
> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > Subject: CHASSIGNITE - No Reserve / IM CHAIT AUCTION
> THIS SUNDAY
> >
> >
> >
> > With gratitude to Adam Hupe's for his plug of the
> IM CHAIT auction
> > taking place this Sunday.
> >
> > Meteorites commence with lot 216
> >
> >
> > LOT 229 / CHASSIGNITE - NWA 2737 / small complete
> slice...and cheap!!
> > LOT 226 / CK-ANOM - Ningqiang / fragment with crust of
> the most
> > exotic Chinese meteorite
> > LOT 217 / LUNAR - NWA 482 / with crust and a low
> reserve.
> > LOT 218 / LUNAR - SHIS,R 160 / the recently named
> lunar found by
> > Mike Farmer and Robert Ward earlier this year.
> Complete Slice--and
> > nearly all the material is gone.
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.chait.com/asp/searchresults.asp?pg=6&ps=50
> >
> > Also featuring Fukang, Campo, Gibeon, Imilac, Glorieta
> (pallasite)
> > and more.
> >
> >
> > Enjoy!!
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: 19 Sep 2008 21:02:24 UT
> From: bernd.pauli at paulinet.de
> Subject: [meteorite-list] IM CHAIT AUCTION THIS SUNDAY
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Message-ID: <DIIE.0000009C000033DD at paulinet.de>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> > Then click the link for LOTS 200-250 at the top of
> the page
>
> .. then click the link for lots 201-250
>
> Sorry! I couldn't resist. A teacher's blood still
> running in my veins :-))
>
> But: I know that there are several list members who also
> love and collect
> crystals and minerals. Have a look at auction item # 16.
> Wow! Beautiful
> quartz crystals and embedded within a single cubic pyrite.
> Breathtakingly
> aesthetic!!!
>
> Bernd
>
> To: darryl at dof3.com
> meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:13:51 -0700
> From: "Jason Utas" <meteoritekid at gmail.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Ziz Meteorite Photographs - Link
> To: Meteorite-list
> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID:
> <93aaac890809191413v7016a449wd18b9460065c3b83 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello All,
>
> In light of the new iron being found, and it's supposed
> similarity to
> Ziz, I've taken the liberty of shooting some of the Ziz
> irons.
> All of the photos are available in large sizes, with the
> best
> resolution I could give.
>
> They're available at the following link:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/30622578 at N08/sets/72157607335937821/
>
> I'm not sure if one has to become a member of the
> website to view the
> photos in full-resolution or not, but if it's offered,
> clicking on the
> "all sizes" tab located at the upper left of the
> picture should allow
> you a full-screen view of any photo I've posted.
>
> In any case, I'm of the opinion that Ziz is distinct
> from the new
> finds. I don't have a slice on-hand to compare, but
> from what I can
> remember, there wasn't a single silicate inclusion
> present in any of
> the slices from the 20+kg mass that was sectioned.
> Although one could say that, as with Campo, there are
> silicate-rich
> and silicate-poor areas within the iron, I would simply
> point out the
> fact that even the slices of Campo rare in silicates
> typically show an
> inclusion or two - and none of the individuals pictured has
> a single
> silicate inclusion visible on its surface. So...well, have
> a look.
>
> Regards,
> Jason
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: 19 Sep 2008 21:23:13 UT
> From: bernd.pauli at paulinet.de
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ziz Meteorite Photographs -
> Link
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Message-ID: <DIIE.0000009A000033E1 at paulinet.de>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hello "Operation Clean Sweep" and List,
>
> "In any case - enjoy"
>
> Thank you for sharing them, ...that's what I did!
>
> "I know they're not professional"
>
> That's definitely an understatement! Geoff, your
> comment(s), please!
> Some of these pictures are extraordinary! I especially like
> this overview:
>
> 14 + 23 + 21 + 4 +2 kg + 37 + 47 + 173g Ziz
>
> Best,
>
> Bernd
>
>
>
> To: meteoritekid at gmail.com
> meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:03:22 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Ron Baalke <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update -
> September
> 4-11, 2008
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing
> List)
> Message-ID:
> <200809192203.PAA12051 at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html
>
> SPIRIT UPDATE: Light Duty for Now - sol 1663-1668,
> September 05-11, 2008:
>
> Spirit continues to conserve solar power while performing
> light science
> activities during the Martian winter. During the past week,
> Spirit
> studied the atmosphere and acquired two frames of the
> full-color image
> mosaic known as the "Bonestell panorama."
>
> Spirit is healthy and all subsystems are performing as
> expected as of
> the relay of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on
> sol 1666 (Sept.
> 9, 2008). Solar-array energy and tau -- a measure of
> atmospheric opacity
> caused by suspended dust -- are holding steady at 245
> watt-hours (100
> watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a
> 100-watt bulb for
> one hour) and 0.20, respectively.
>
> Sol-by-sol summary
>
> In addition to taking daily measurements of dust-related
> changes in
> atmospheric opacity (tau), Spirit completed the following
> activities:
>
> Sol 1663 (Sept. 6, 2008): Spirit recharged the batteries.
>
> Sol 1664: Spirit acquired column 18 of the Bonestell
> panorama, using all
> 13 color filters of the panoramic camera.
>
> Sol 1665: Spirit recharged the batteries.
>
> Sol 1666: Spirit recharged the batteries.
>
> Sol 1667: Spirit received new instructions from Earth via
> the rover's
> high-gain antenna and relayed data to the UHF antenna on
> NASA's Odyssey
> orbiter to be transmitted to Earth.
>
> Sol 1668 (Sept. 11, 2008): Spirit monitored dust
> accumulation on the
> panoramic-camera mast assembly and acquired column 19 of
> the Bonestell
> panorama.
>
> Odometry:
>
> As of sol 1666 (Sept. 9, 2008), Spirit's total odometry
> was 7,528.0
> meters (4.7 miles).
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Playing in the Sand - sol 1641-1647,
> September 04-11, 2008:
>
> During the past week, Opportunity performed several tests
> of the robotic
> arm to learn how to use it with a disabled shoulder joint.
> Having
> successfully completed those tests, Opportunity is moving
> on to
> investigate some bright patches of dust. Scientists hope to
> ascertain if
> the patches contain material not thoroughly analyzed in the
> past.
>
> On sol (Martian day) 1641 (Sept. 4, 2008), Opportunity
> homed in on an
> area of sand that appeared to contain a high concentration
> of dust. For
> the next several days, sols 1642-1647 (Sept. 5-11, 2008),
> the rover
> tested the robotic arm's ability to place scientific
> instruments on
> specific targets in the sand. These instruments included
> the Moessbauer
> spectrometer, microscopic imager, and alpha-particle X-ray
> spectrometer.
> Tests revealed that the robotic arm placed the instruments
> in position
> with very little error in spite of the disabled shoulder
> joint. Because
> the dust was not pure enough to yield the desired
> scientific results,
> engineers decided on sol 1648 (Sept. 12, 2008) to drive the
> rover north
> to a more promising area of apparent dust patches.
>
> On sol 1644 (Sept. 7, 2009), Opportunity relayed data at
> UHF frequencies
> to NASA's Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter (MRO). Typically,
> the rover sends
> data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to
> Earth. Once a month,
> Opportunity is relaying data to the Mars Reconnaissance
> Orbiter in
> preparation for using it more in the future.
>
> Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as
> expected as of
> the most recent transfer of information from NASA's
> Odyssey orbiter on
> sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008). Power rose to 652 watt-hours
> (enough energy
> to light a 100-watt bulb for a tad longer than 6.5 hours).
>
> Sol-by-sol summary:
>
> Each Martian day, or sol, Opportunity measured dust-related
> changes in
> atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera. In addition,
> Opportunity
> completed the following activities:
>
> Sol 1641 (Sept. 4, 2008): Before driving, Opportunity
> acquired a 3-by-1
> panel of panoramic-camera images looking north. The rover
> then nudged
> toward a bright patch and, after stopping, acquired images
> of the ground
> near its wheels and the area directly ahead with the
> hazard-avoidance
> and navigation cameras, respectively. The rover relayed
> data to Odyssey.
>
> Sol 1642: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images
> and spot
> images of the sky for calibration purposes with the
> panoramic camera.
> Next, the rover tested movement and placement of the
> Moessbauer
> spectrometer, taking images near the ground with the
> hazard-avoidance
> cameras and images from above with the panoramic camera.
> Opportunity
> then used the Moessbauer spectrometer to acquire
> compositional data from
> a sand dune on the rim of "Victoria Crater."
> After relaying data to
> Odyssey, Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep.
>
> Sol 1643: Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse movie frames
> in search of
> morning clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity
> continued to
> acquire data from the sand dune at the rim of Victoria
> Crater with the
> Moessbauer spectrometer. Opportunity took full-color
> images, using all 13
> color filters of the panoramic camera, of the rover's
> tracks. After
> sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a mini-deep
> sleep.
>
> Sol 1644: Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse movie frames
> in search of
> clouds. The rover continued to collect data from the dune
> on the rim of
> Victoria Crater using the Moessbauer spectrometer. Before
> communicating
> with Odyssey, Opportunity relayed data to the Mars
> Reconnaissance
> Orbiter for transmission to Earth. After sending data to
> Odyssey, the
> rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
>
> Sol 1645: In the morning, Opportunity acquired six,
> time-lapse movie
> frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
> Opportunity
> acquired a 1-by-3-by-15 stack of microscopic images of
> ripple soil. The
> rover restarted the Moessbauer spectrometer and began
> collecting data
> from the soil in the ripples. After transmitting data to
> Odysssey,
> Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 panel of images of a target
> dubbed
> "Schuchert."
>
> Sol 1646: Opportunity monitored dust accumulation on the
> panoramic-camera mast assembly and restarted the Moessbauer
> spectrometer
> for collecting data on the ripple soil. The rover used the
> miniature
> thermal emission spectrometer to complete a mini-survey of
> the sky and
> ground. Before sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity used
> the
> spectrometer to characterize the external calibration
> target.
>
> Sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008): Opportunity acquired more
> time-lapse, movie
> frames to document potential clouds passing overhead. The
> rover took a
> 3-by-1 panel of images of Schuchert with the panoramic
> camera and a
> time-lapse movie in search of clouds. Opportunity placed
> the
> alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the ripple soil and,
> after sending
> data to Odyssey, acquired compositional data. Plans for the
> following
> morning called for the rover to study a cobble field,
> acquiring a 4-by-1
> panel of images with the panoramic camera.
>
> Odometry:
>
> As of sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008), Opportunity's total
> odometry was
> 11,782.10 meters (7.32 miles).
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:05:53 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Ron Baalke <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images:
> September 15-19,
> 2008
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing
> List)
> Message-ID:
> <200809192205.PAA13017 at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> MARS ODYSSEY THEMIS IMAGES
> September 15-19, 2008
>
> o Lava Channel (Released 15 September 2008)
> http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080915a
>
> o Buvinda Vallis (Released 16 September 2008)
> http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080916a
>
> o Tempe Terra (Released 17 September 2008)
> http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080917a
>
> o Iani Chaos (Released 18 September 2008)
> http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080918a
>
> o Ascraeus Mons (Released 19 September 2008)
> http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20080919a
>
>
> All of the THEMIS images are archived here:
>
> http://themis.asu.edu/latest.html
>
> NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars
> Odyssey mission
> for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
> The Thermal Emission
> Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State
> University,
> Tempe, in co.oration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote
> Sensing.
> The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen
> at Arizona State
> University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the
> prime contractor
> for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the
> orbiter. Mission
> operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and
> from JPL, a
> division of the California Institute of Technology in
> Pasadena.
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:13:39 -0400
> From: "David & Kitt Deyarmin"
> <bobadebt at ec.rr.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] AD - Looking to TRADE ZAG
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID: <0AE89A852ABA466F9EF675093A449669 at David>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed;
> charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> I have about 700 grams of Zag slices available for sale at
> $3 per gram.
> These are some super nice slices and you can see them by
> clicking this:
>
> http://home.ec.rr.com/bobadebt/Rocks/FS%20Zag.htm
>
>
>
>
>
> I am also open to trades / partial trades with cash / etc
> for the following
> material -
>
> GHUBARA (L5)
>
> SIKHOTE - ALIN
>
> A SUITABLE H4 OF H4
>
> A MESOSIDERITE
>
>
>
> My only stipulation is that the material be large enough to
> produce a 50mm
> sphere. To meet that requirement it has to measure at
> least 52mm in what
> would be the center of all 3 axis that the sphere rough
> would be cut from.
>
> My only motivation for selling material is to acquire new
> material for
> additional spheres to add to my collection. The material I
> sell is created
> from specimens I buy to process into a sphere.
>
> I'm sure I can sell this material over a protracted
> time period but it's
> possible that one of you may have something I'm looking
> for just collecting
> dust on a shelf somewhere so this could be beneficial to
> everyone involved.
>
>
>
> If you have something that you think I might be interested
> in contact me off
> list at bobadebt at ec.rr.com
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:28:51 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Ron Baalke <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Scientists Debate Planet
> Definition and
> Agree to Disagree
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing
> List)
> Message-ID:
> <200809192228.PAA16541 at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
>
> http://www.psi.edu/press/archive/20080919planetdebate/
>
> Scientists Debate Planet Definition and Agree to Disagree
> Planetary Science Institute Press Release
>
> September 19, 2008 - Two years ago the International
> Astronomical Union
> (IAU) elected to define the term planet, restricting it to
> the eight
> largest bodies orbiting the Sun, and deleting Pluto from
> the list. The
> demotion of Pluto sparked considerable public controversy.
> Numerous
> planetary scientists and astronomers protested the
> IAU's definition as
> not useful, while numerous other planetary scientists and
> astronomers
> supported the outcome.
>
> Recognizing the need for further scientific debate on
> planet definition,
> more than 100 scientists and educators representing a wide
> range of
> viewpoints on the issue converged for three days on the
> Applied Physics
> Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University (APL) for "The
> Great Planet
> Debate: Science as Process" conference
> <http://gpd.jhuapl.edu/> last
> month. The conference was sponsored by NASA, APL, the
> Planetary Science
> Institute, The Planetary Society, and the American
> Astronautical Society.
>
> Different positions were advocated, ranging from reworking
> the IAU
> definition (but yielding the same outcome of eight
> planets), replacing
> it with a geophysical-based definition (that would increase
> the number
> of planets well beyond eight), and rescinding the
> definition for planet
> altogether and focusing on defining subcategories for
> serving different
> purposes. No consensus was reached.
>
> A sample of the opinions expressed by conference
> participants follows:
>
> "I was impressed with two things that came out of The
> Great Planet
> Debate meeting: first, that no one liked the IAU's
> definition of
> planethood, and second, that there are strongly divergent
> scientific
> opinions about what a planet is, with those who study
> orbits and those
> who study planets themselves seeing the matter very
> differently." said
> planetary scientist Alan Stern, currently a visiting
> scholar at the
> Lunar and Planetary Institute of Houston, Texas. "My
> view is that the
> dynamically based definitions are deeply flawed because
> they do not take
> into account any physical properties of the body in
> question, and give
> ridiculous results, for example classifying identical large
> objects in
> different orbits differently - so that even Earths are not
> always
> planets, which is crazy," Stern concluded.
>
> "Gravity forces large bodies to be round, whereas
> small bodies can be
> quite oddly shaped. But the proposed 'geophysical'
> definition of
> planethood based upon roundness uses a poor criterion
> because there is
> no good dividing line. Indeed, there are likely to be more
> intermediate
> solar system objects that are in the fuzzy
> 'roundish' area than there
> are objects that are clearly round. In contrast, the eight
> planets
> recognized by the IAU are significantly different from the
> numerous
> small objects that are classified as 'minor
> planets' (asteroids) in
> terms of both physical properties and their effects on
> bodies orbiting
> nearby," said Jack Lissauer, planetary scientist at
> NASA's Ames Research
> Center in Mountain View, California.
>
> "We all have a conceptual image of a planet.
> Therefore, we need a term
> that encompasses all objects that orbit the Sun or other
> stars," said
> Larry Lebofsky, Senior Education Specialist at the
> Planetary Science
> Institute in Tucson, Arizona. "The debate is a great
> teaching moment.
> Whether dwarf planets are grouped together with the
> classical planets is
> not as important as the process by which scientists arrived
> at their
> conclusions. Scientists look at the same information in
> different ways;
> there may be more than one 'answer'. Facts change.
> What we know now may
> not be what we know in two or three years. Learning to
> think critically
> and understanding how scientists organize facts to develop
> theories are
> lessons that will serve students for a lifetime."
>
> "The word 'planet' has a deep cultural context
> that cannot be decided by
> vote of a subset of astronomers meeting in a room
> somewhere, especially
> when that debate is rushed and the vote close", said
> William McKinnon, a
> Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington
> University in
> St. Louis, and an IAU member. "The IAU should reopen
> the issue to
> electronic debate by the entire astronomical community. I
> am sure the
> outcome in that case, whatever it turns out to be, or even
> if it is
> concluded that no universal definition is necessary, would
> be more
> satisfactory to all parties," he said.
>
> "I believe the IAU definition correctly recognized the
> utility of a
> dynamical criterion, but that it needs clarification, not
> abandonment.
> In particular, 'clearing' the neighborhood should
> be replaced by the
> concept of 'dynamical dominance'," said Steven
> Soter of the American
> Museum of Natural History in New York.
>
> Jay Pasachoff, from Williams College, who is spending this
> year at
> Caltech studying Pluto's atmosphere, says, "I have
> long tried, in my
> textbooks, to reflect consensus rather than trying to
> legislate new
> terminology. I think that the IAU should have limited their
> decision to
> the administrative assignment of naming responsibility and
> not tried to
> make decisions for the general public. If third-grade
> students
> eventually decide that Eris, Makemake, Haumea, and their
> successors are
> too many to learn about, then a new consensus may emerge.
> In the
> meantime, let's let scientific discovery continue to
> take its course and
> let us hope to excite new generations of students with the
> new
> information that emerges."
>
> "I think the IAU made a mistake getting into the
> business of defining a
> widely used word, 'planet', and sowing confusion
> thereby.
> Scientifically, the useful discussion would be about
> categories of
> planets (e.g., gaseous planets, rocky planets, dwarf
> planets, icy
> planets, free-floating planets, etc., and an individual
> celestial body
> may fall into more than one category). This approach would
> address the
> main practical problem of nomenclature without confusing
> the public
> about 'planet' itself," said Renu Malhotra, a
> Professor in the
> Department of Planetary Sciences of the University of
> Arizona.
>
> Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist with the American
> Museum of Natural
> History and panelist for the Great Planet Debate commented,
> "The word
> 'planet' has surely outlived its usefulness. The
> time has come for us to
> create a fresh and sensible classification scheme from the
> ground up --
> one that applies to all objects of our own solar system,
> yet is flexible
> enough to embrace newly discovered objects elsewhere in the
> galaxy.
> Other fields, such as biology, and even subfields of
> astrophysics that
> study stars and galaxies, have strong needs to classify
> objects and have
> solved this problem long ago. It's time for the
> community of planetary
> scientists to do the same. We should not 'agree to
> disagree, we should
> 'agree to converge'."
>
> "It was a mistake for the IAU to dictate a definition
> when there is no
> consensus among planetary scientists. It is also
> counter-productive to
> focus only on the planets in our solar system, ignoring
> some 300
> exoplanets," said David Morrison of NASA Ames Research
> Center. "The IAU
> definition of planet should be withdrawn or ignored."
>
> "Historically, 'planets' are just objects that
> orbit the Sun. Even
> asteroids are called 'minor planets' By the IAU.
> The controversy caused
> by the IAU officially declaring the term to be restricted
> to eight
> objects in our solar system was unnecessary, but a natural
> consequence
> of one group of people trying to impose their views on
> everyone else,"
> said Mark Sykes, Director of the Planetary Science
> Institute, in Tucson,
> Arizona. "Ultimately, over the years, the process of
> science is not
> guided by imprimatur and ensures that the most generally
> useful
> perspective will prevail."
>
> The debate continues.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The Planetary Science Institute is a private, nonprofit
> corporation
> founded in 1972 and dedicated to solar system exploration.
> It is
> headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
>
> PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and
> international missions,
> the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids,
> comets,
> interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the
> solar system,
> extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life,
> and other
> areas of research. They conduct fieldwork in North America,
> Australia
> and Africa. They also are actively involved in science
> education and
> public outreach through school programs, children's
> books, popular
> science books and art.
>
> The Institute's researchers are based in 15 states, the
> United Kingdom,
> Russia, Switzerland and Australia.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:40:37 -0400
> From: Darren Garrison <cynapse at charter.net>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Scientists hope to land
> spacecraft on
> asteroid
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing
> List)
> Message-ID:
> <tjd8d4hbcecq84aj75fjppd7dqms853sje at 4ax.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Scientists-hope-to-land-spacecraft.4511699.jp
>
> Scientists hope to land spacecraft on asteroid
> Published Date: 20 September 2008
> By Jenny Haworth
> EUROPEAN scientists are hoping to land a spacecraft on an
> asteroid to help
> research into the origins of Earth. Known as Marco Polo,
> the mission, run by
> scientists and engineers could take place in the next ten
> years.
> The aim would be to bring back material from an asteroid to
> learn more about how
> our solar system developed.
>
> A small asteroid ? less than a mile across ? would be
> selected near Earth. A
> spacecraft would land and drill for dust and rubble.
>
> Sattelite manufacturers Astrium in the UK and OHB in
> Germany are undertaking a
> study to assess the type of spacecraft that would be needed
> to carry out the
> project.
>
> Dr Ralph Cordey from Astrium said: "We've got to
> look at all elements of the
> mission ? how we would design the mission, how to design
> the trajectory to one
> of a number of possible asteroids, how to optimise that so
> we use the smallest
> spacecraft, the least fuel and the smallest rocket."
>
> Professor Andrew Collier Cameron, an astronomer from the
> University of St
> Andrews, said the venture could help solve the mystery of
> the origins of planets
> like Earth.
>
> "Getting samples is very, very important," said
> Prof Collier Cameron. "It gives
> us a sample of primordial material left over from the time
> when the solar system
> was formed."
>
> Asteroids are lumps of debris left over from the formation
> of the solar system
> about 4.6 billion years ago.
>
> They can provide pristine material to help scientists find
> out how planets could
> evolve from dust particles that built up to form
> gravel-like rocks.
>
> A final decision on whether to approve the mission will be
> made by the European
> Space Agency (ESA) in a few years.
>
> If approved, the mission would launch in about 2017.
>
> The mission could provide considerable challenges. If the
> spacecraft does not
> approach the asteroid correctly, it could be damaged or
> could bounce back off
> into space.
>
> It is expected that up 300g of dust and pebbles could be
> stored in a sealed
> capsule in the probe. It would release the capsule close to
> Earth for a
> re-entry.
>
> After it landed, the capsule would be opened in a clean
> facility to make sure
> there was no contamination of the samples.
>
> ESA has an exploration roadmap for the missions it wishes
> to conduct in the
> coming years. Marco Polo is being considered under its
> Cosmic Visions programme,
> and is one of a number of competing ideas in a class of
> missions that could cost
> in the region of 300 million (?238 million).
>
> Such a mission could help develop the technology needed for
> the more challenging
> task of landing on and leaving a planet that has a much
> bigger gravitational
> pull, such as Mars.
>
> BACKGROUND
>
> THE Japanese recently attempted to grab samples off the
> surface of Asteroid
> Itokawa.
>
> However, it is still not clear whether the spacecraft
> managed to capture any
> material. The probe is due to return to Earth in 2010.
>
> The Americans gathered information about Asteroid Eros with
> their NEAR Shoemaker
> probe, which orbited close to the asteroid to collect data
> in 2000.
>
> They have also sent the Dawn spacecraft to rendezvous with
> Asteroid Vesta in
> 2011 before going on to visit Asteroid Ceres in 2015.
>
> Europe's Rosetta probe, which is en route to a comet,
> took close-up pictures of
> Asteroid Steins during a flyby earlier this month.
>
> Ultimately, it is possible that astronauts could visit an
> asteroid. The US space
> agency is currently studying how this might be done.
>
>
> Also:
>
> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/09/19/europeans-lay-out-plans-to-bring-asteroid-chunks-back-to-earth/
>
> (in honor of the date, passed through here
> http://www.syddware.com/cgi-bin/pirate.pl)
>
> Europeans Lay Ou' Plans t' Brin' Asteroid
> Chunks Aft t' Earth
>
> Th' European Space Agency (ESA) be considerin' a
> space voyage called Marco Polo,
> in which a spacecraft would land on a wee asteroid, drill
> into its surface t'
> collect samples o' rock an' dust, an' then fly
> aft t' Earth 'ere 't would drop
> its sample capsule down t' th' surface. Two
> satellite manufacturin' companies be
> currently conductin' a feasibility study; if ESA signs
> off on th' proposal,
> Marco Polo could sail off into space in 2017.
>
> Asteroids be chunks o' debris port o'er from
> th' chaotic mass that spun around
> th' young Sun durin' th' formation o'
> th' Solar System about 4.6 billion voyages
> ago. Th' rest o' th' material coalesced into
> planets [Th' Daily Mail].
> Researchers say that studyin' th' composition
> o' an asteroid could give them
> insight into how th' solar system formed. Th'
> roughly $430 cargo holds o' voyage
> would also serve as a warm-up fer a hypothetical round-trip
> journey t' Mars, as
> 't would enable th' development o' technology
> needed fer gettin' up an' down
> from a large planetary body wi' a much bigger
> gravitational pull [Telegraph].
>
> Marco Polo wouldna be th' first spacecraft t'
> alight on an asteroid, or t' try
> t' brin' aft a souvenir from one. In 2001, NASA
> brought th' NEAR Shoemaker
> spacecraft down fer a landin' on th' nearby
> asteroid Eros, from 'ere 't
> continued t' send data fer about two tides. Landin'
> can be tricky, tho: In 2005,
> Japan?s Hayabusa spacecraft attempted t' land briefly
> on th' Itokawa asteroid
> an' collect a rock sample, but malfunctions an'
> communication blackouts
> bedeviled th' voyage. Still, Japanese engineers
> b'lieve Hayabusa collected some
> dust that swirled up from th' asteroid?s surface,
> an' be eagerly awaitin' th'
> craft?s return t' Earth in 2010.
>
> While robotic rovers an' probes be havin' conducted
> many noteworthy experiments
> on extraterrestrial bodies, so-called sample return
> missions be o' increasin'
> interest t' scientists. Although in-situ measurements
> provide remarkable
> insights, so much more would be learnt if materials be
> brought aft t' Earth
> laboratories, 'ere th' full panoply o' modern
> analytical technologies can be
> deployed [BBC News]. ESA an' NASA be havin' also
> discussed cooperatin' on a
> sample return voyage t' Mars, although th' $4.5
> t' $8 billion price tag fer such
> a voyage be dauntin'.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:38:06 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Michael Gilmer <michael_w_gilmer at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] AD : FOR SALE - MAPS Journal
> April 2008
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Message-ID:
> <903418.62803.qm at web58404.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hi folks!
>
> I am offering for sale the following item (trying to
> recover financially from the evacuation expenses of
> hurricane Gustav) :
>
> 1) MAPS Journal - Meteoritics and Planetary Science, the
> official publication of the Meteoritical Society.
> Volume 43, Number 4, April 2008. - Mint condition, $25.00
> shipped to anywhere in the CONUS.
>
> Contents :
>
> a) Radial Transport in the Solar Nebula : Implications for
> moderately volatile element depletions in
> chondritic meteorites.
> b) Evolution of the Winonaite Parent Body : Clues from
> silicate material trace elements distributions
> c) 182Hf - 182W Chronometry and the Early Evolution History
> in the acapulcoite parent body.
> d) Noble Gases in Grant and Carbo and the influence of S-
> and P-rich mineral inclusions in the
> 41K-40K dating system.
> e) Structural Evolution of the 40km wide Araguainha impact
> structure, Central Brazil.
> f) Kinetic Stability of a melted iron globule during
> chondrule formation. Non-rotating model.
> g) Frontier Mountain Meteorite Specimens of the
> acapulcoite-lodranite clan : Petrography, pairing,
> and parent rock lithology of an unusual intrusive rock.
> h) PDF Orientations in shocked quartz grains around the
> Chicxulub crater.
> i) Araki (L5) chondrite : the first meteorite find in Thar
> Desert of India.
> j) Experimental Impacts into chondritic targets, Part I :
> Disruption of an L6 chondrite by multiple impacts.
> k) The 410,000 year terrestrial age of eucrite Rio Cuarto
> 001.
> l) Constraints on the depth and variability of the lunar
> regolith.
>
> ---> I also have 100-gram lots of small UNWA stones
> available for $25 shipped. (CONUS only)
>
> ---> Zagami "Bessey Specks" - $15 (includes
> gem jar and label)
>
> (*** PAYPAL ONLY ***)
>
> Canadian and Overseas sales will incur extra shipping
> charges - email me for a quote.
>
> Thanks for looking and clear skies!
>
> MikeG
>
> .........................................................
> Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
> Member of the Meteoritical Society.
> Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
> Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and
> http://www.glassthrower.com
> MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale
> ..........................................................
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:58:18 -0600
> From: "Bob Loeffler" <bobl at peaktopeak.com>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] the denver show (PHOTOS!)
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Message-ID:
> <20080920015838.CE34C10543 at mailwash5.pair.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi Doug,
>
> Yes, I think that was Matt Morgan's big Johnstown in
> one of the showcases.
>
> Speaking of which... We now have photos posted on the
> COMETS website!
> Photos were taken by Ron Pearson and are of the Friday
> night auction,
> Saturday night dinner and the COMETS two showcases at the
> main Denver Show.
> You can see the photos at:
>
> http://www.peaktopeak.com/comets/gallery/2008show/2008show.htm
>
> Click on the thumbnail images to see larger photos.
>
> Regards,
>
> Bob Loeffler
> COMETS
> Colorado Meteorite Society
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On
> Behalf Of
> mexicodoug at aim.com
> Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 10:36 PM
> To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] the denver show
>
> Hi Steve and friends from Denver.
>
> Steve, your really got to come next year. The local Denver
> meteorite
> listmembers and Crado meteorite club hosts organized a
> super Mexican
> buffet dinner last night, and it was laid back and
> enjoyable (hopefully
> I can go go to a meteorite even one of these days that is
> not Mexican
> food since . A nice complement to Tucson. In the main
> fossil center
> there was a superb exhibit of, I'm betting of around
> 50% of all
> Colorado meteorites. Museum specimens just about every one
> of them. I
> think it fit in very well with the theme of the show casing
> of Colorado
> minerals and even a hands on gold panning display that was
> a real
> family event. Several dealers were here, and I enjoyed
> chatting with a
> very educational and professional set up that Fred Hall and
> his
> children had..
>
> Otherwise, the deals weren't anything to write home
> about as Mike
> alrady mentioned. On second thought, there were deals if
> you looked
> hard enough. Hans was dealing with a couple of new items
> and Blaine
> had a bunch of new items, for example. The auction was
> nice, I wanted
> to bid on Claxton, but I couldn't find my card on time,
> so someone got
> a deal.
>
> I had the pleasure of meeting Art Ehlmann who kindly placed
> a few TCU
> specimens in the auction, and had some very interesting
> stories to
> relate regarding Nininger - Monnig correspondence and the
> like from
> years backs. Larr Sloan and Larry Johnson, too. Anne
> Black and the
> Jensens were both very enthusiastic as always and pleasant.
> Sorry I
> missede Matt Morgan. (I wonder if it was his piece of
> Johnstown in the
> Colorado meteorite exhibit Must have been a 100 gram half
> stone or so
> with the most beautiful, fresh matrix of the show for me.
>
> There are many people in Denver that are not hard core
> meteorite folk
> that sort of get pulled into it. There just isn't that
> tense
> deal-or-die attitude I sometimes see in Tucson. Overall a
> great small,
> short, and sweet show set in the foot of snow capped
> mountains. Thanks
> to all who made this possible. I just hope the dealers
> broke even as
> the traffic seemed light to me, but hey, it was my first
> tiime visiting
> this enjoyable show.
>
> Comet Shop had some great deals, otherwise Sikhote-Alins
> just keep
> drifting upwards in prices for all types and flight marked
> pieces were
> rare which uite frankly is scary. Or maybe the early birds
> got the
> worms; I came just for the weekend...
>
> Hope that helps...
>
> Best wuishes,
> Doug
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
>
> End of Meteorite-list Digest, Vol 59, Issue 25
> **********************************************


      
Received on Fri 19 Sep 2008 10:05:48 PM PDT