[meteorite-list] Visual Impact: Meteor Crater

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

Sky & Telescope, September 2004, p. 116,
Astronomy online by St. J. Goldman, excerpts:

So I wondered, what if lightning struck twice and an impactor identical
to the one that created Meteor Crater hit the same spot now? Would the
folks at LPL in Tucson sense it from their offices 300 kilometers (185 miles)
away? It turns out that they probably wouldn't. The strike would create the
equivalent of a 4.9-magnitude earthquake, but the released energy would
barely shake the city. Tucsonans may have heard it, but it would have been
a rumble only as "loud as heavy traffic." Folks in Flagstaff, about 90 km
from Meteor Crater, would sense it more. The shock would be felt indoors as
hanging objects rattle and swing. They still wouldn't see the fireball, though.


Best wishes,

Bernd