>Sorry, but can someone tell me if terminal velocity applies to meteors? In >other words, if it does, wouldn't this meteor have the same speed and >momentum as a rock of equivalent size dropped from the top of a skyscraper? No, not at all. It could be moving at thousands of mph ie well & truly hypersonic when it encounters the planet. The thin skin of atmosphere wil not slow it greatly, though the lighter it is the more it will be braked by atmospheric friction (and a rock meteorite more so than a metallic one). Whatever mass, it will still be moving at tremendous speed when it hits the ground. I can attest to this, having seen one impact in a field at night as I rode past on my motorcycle. It would have been tiny by the yime it reached the ground, but it was an instantaneous flash from the sky into the ground. -- Andrew Grebneff 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.