Date:         Mon, 20 Jan 2003 23:42:03 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Terminal velocity, was:  Re: Friday - hazards to our van (LVC)
In-Reply-To:  <BA515C6C.DD83%ben@volkscafe.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>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