[meteorite-list] Meteor Reported in Australia

[Marc D. Fries]

I guess it comes down to what the eyewitness meant by "zig zagging".  If
we're talking about some corkscrewing motion through the sky then I can
believe it was a tumbling meteorite, but if it rapidly changed direction
then my vote is for a large, tumbling, very-low-density-by-comparison
chunk of expended rocket stage or the like.

Cheers,
MDF


> Juris, indeed, most meteors we all know are moving so fast and burn up.
> These large ones that drop meteorites slow down enough that the air
> pressures on the body can move it around. I think it would be extremely
> rare anyway, but with an odd shaped meteorite, and a hard one like an
> iron, when it slows down enough, I would think that the air can easily
> force it to rotate and spin.
> Mike Farmer
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: JPBrockets at aol.com
>   To: meteoritehunter at comcast.net ; m.fries at gl.ciw.edu ;
> meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>   Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 11:13 AM
>   Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteor Reported in Australia
>
>
>   In a message dated 6/30/2004 11:57:38 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
> meteoritehunter at comcast.net writes:
>     Portales Valley was spinning when it fell, so I think that if the body
> has a
>     strange angled shape, that it can tumble, or spin while falling, I
> doubt
>     that it was zig zagging as in changing directions like they suggest.
>     Mike Farmer
>   Hello Mike and List Members:
>
>   I have seen my fair share of meteors - and can only once remember one
> deviating from a straight path.  It had the SLIGHTEST of ziggs to one
> side about half way through its flight.  This meteor was one of two that
> were a couple of seconds apart, in parallel paths almost right on top of
> each other.  These are also the only two meteors I have ever heard -
> with a distinct "woosh" after they passed.  They left a trail that
> lingered about for 30 seconds or so.
>
>   Now in all fairness, this event happened 30 or so years ago.... I do
> have one witness.  My sister was there with me and remembers the two
> meteors.  Further details however are lacking in her memory.
>
>   Juris Breikss
>   jpbrockets at aol.com


-- 
Marc D. Fries, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Geophysical Laboratory
5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20015
PH:  202 478 7970
FAX: 202 478 8901