Comments on: Peruvian Meteorite May Rewrite Impact Theories

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:47:56 +0000

What about the altitude of the landing site?

By: Steve J

Steve J — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:00:41 +0000

There's a difference between a rifle bullet which spins and a musket or smooth bore bullet which doesn't. The 2 are getting confused here. Second there seems to be some assumptions that rocks from space can't be big enough to hit the ground and are always round. It'd make more sense if the meteor was already elongated and found it's own path of least resistance. It would explain it hitting the ground in the first place and the speed in which it did. Hydrazine I believe is a caustic substance which would dissolve their lungs. As in not sick but dead.

By: JonClarke

JonClarke — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:39:57 +0000

You are welcome!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:56:30 +0000

Thanks Jon.

By: JonClarke

JonClarke — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:43:18 +0000

People have done that, it is an H4 or and H5 class chondrite.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:52:48 +0000

Instead of pondering, why not experiment? Heat the remaining rock up with a torch and put a light source behind it and take a look with a spectroscope to see what it is made of. -Maybe it is space junk that made its way down.-Then put it in a wind tunnel and propel it through at a number of different speeds and record the results. We could always drop it from a balloon. Or, shape it into a bullet of the right calibre and fire it out of a cannon…?

What was the atmospheric conditions right where it entered? Did any jets leave some hot exhausts behind just moments before leaving some adhering gases in its wake?

By: JonClarke

JonClarke — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:34:13 +0000

The other LPSC abstracts about the event.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2446.pdf

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2555.pdf

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2027.pdf

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2409.pdf

Jon

By: JonClarke

JonClarke — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:32:34 +0000

Yes we do. The object had came from an azimuth of 82 degrees relative to the crater (i.e. almost due east) and a descent angle of 63 degrees. The impact was an ordinary chondrite, class H4 or H5, travelling at 3-6 km/s. impacting at an angle of 45-60 degrees. Initial velocities were 12-18 km/s, mostly likely 16 km/s. The impactorâ€™s orbit was probably inclined at 25 degrees to the ecliptic and an aphelion inside the orbit of Jupiter.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/1216.pdf

Jon

By: Valentin KINET

Valentin KINET — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:39:51 +0000

Is it already known from which direction the rock impacted Earth? Maybe that knowledge may give an explanation for the survival of the piece coming from heavens. If it hit the atmosphere right in front it had less atmosphere to pierce before impacting the ground.

By: JonClarke

JonClarke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:29:00 +0000

Chondritic material was found at the site. There is no doubt this was a meteorite impact.

Jon

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:44:20 +0000

That very well could be possible Giovanni. People need to just throw on some haz-mat suits and start digging. It's there gotta be in there somewhere – even trace amounts.

By: giovanni

giovanni — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:51:21 +0000

this may well be a nonstony meteorite but made of an unknown yet to be discovered matter which in contact with searing heat does not disentegrate but becomes plasticious its own velocity then causes it to elongate while retaining its whole mass and keep thining and lengthening and increeasing its velocity due to gravity in which case it is safe to assume the alien meteorite is still there with all its mass buried deep below the crater.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:14:33 +0000

Stoney meteorites are not always chondrites. Stoney meteorites can be either chondrites or achondrites.

By: John Mendenhall

John Mendenhall — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:26:53 +0000

If it hasn't been done already, find an archeologist with digging experience, and dig it up.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:46:01 +0000

It seems to me there is a lot more we don't know about our Universe than we do. Rather than immediately dismiss things that don't fit our expectations, let's ponder them for a few minutes.

Then dismiss them.
kcuhC

By: Sally

Sally — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:56:03 +0000

Ahhhh, some sense prevails… Thanks Eric

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:44:54 +0000

The notion that a US satellite cause that crater isn't impossible, but I'd call it highly unlikely. If a rocky meteorite didn't melt completely how would metal not melt? It's the reason that NASA puts ceramic based tiles on the bottom of the space shuttles – to decrease the effect of friction-caused heat on the fuselage during re-entry. The satellite would have broken apart during re-entry into the atmosphere (like Columbia) and it's probably not crazy to think that the satellite's fuel containment system would have probably exploded once the heat had worn down the exposed surface. Stop the conspiracy theories, people and just for a moment, use common sense.

By: jonathan

jonathan — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:47:29 +0000

hopefully the book on meotorite theory is still open despite the possibility of space industry debris creating impact craters. you never really know what will come flying into our atmosphere, or even what dynamics are involved. new theories can lead to new truths.

By: Keith A

Keith A — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:13:39 +0000

This was originally reported as a 'suspected' or 'possible' US satellite deorbiting, and that the locals were experiencing a reaction to hydrazine, a highly toxic and volatile rocket fuel.

That would explain both the intactness, and the 'sleekness', no? (50x faster than 'expected' is just plain BS).

By: pete

pete — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:59:01 +0000

"that the friction vaporizes them" should be:
"that the ram pressure vaporizes them"

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:52:43 +0000

The first comment was referring to the movie / story of Starship Troopers.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:58:55 +0000

If certain meterorites can make a bigger impact than expected then this is cause for concern and for more detailled study until the reason is determined. The conclusions could highlight the importance of the recent effort to find smaller near earth objects.

By: sayhuh78

sayhuh78 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:36:30 +0000

ok, first the bullet thing is a theory. second (i think the first comment is about a story or something)but it is very possible that a rocky formation was able to reform into into a natural way of "rifling" due to the layout and chemicals involved. it would be nice to see the follow up.

By: Vladimir K.

Vladimir K. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:26:42 +0000

Unfortunately, the IQ of this site runs down. The bullet is stabilized by fast rotation around its axis. If the meteorite did the same, it would be great puzzle.

By: Aaron M.

Aaron M. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:24:00 +0000

it doesn't melt through, the interior of the meteorite is probably only a few degrees Kelvin on impact. I missed LPSC this year I would have liked to see this talk, the theory sounds fishy