[meteorite-list] Meteorites on the moon

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi Sterling, Rob, List - 

There is no combined model of asteroid and comet flux
which accounts for the observed craters on all bodies
in our solar system.  The mechanics of the Earth-Moon
system have never really been worked out.  We really
don't know if the Moon gets hit more often than the
Earth ot less.  Shoemaker, who did a lot of the early
Apollo era work, later renounced a lot of it.

By the way, no matter what you hear on TV, the impact
of a comet killed the dinosaurs, not the impact of an
asteroid.

thoughts at 4 in the morning,
godd hunting,
Ed

--- "Sterling K. Webb" <sterling_k_webb at sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

> Hi, Rob, List,
> 
> 
>     The ratio of the areas of Earth:Moon is roughly
> 16:1, but
> the deflection caused by Earth's stronger
> gravitational reach
> makes the ratio of impacts about 18:1.
>     The lunar impact rate is a more accurate measure
> of the
> meteroid flux in the vicinity of the Earth's orbit
> than the Earth's
> impact rate is, for that reason.
>     Even lunar gravity has a "focusing" effect in
> attracting
> meteroids. The actual "space" flux of meteroids is
> calculated
> to be about 85% to 86% of the rate implied by the
> impact rate
> on the Earth.
>     It's much harder to figure out an accurate rate
> of impacts on
> the Earth, though. As a result, we have no firm
> figure to multiply
> by 0.85.
> 
> 
> Sterling K. Webb
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Rob McCafferty" <rob_mccafferty at yahoo.com>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 3:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites on the moon
> 
> 
> > ...lunar impacts are rarer than Earth ones due to
> the
> > weak gravity of the moon and not just it's smaller
> > cross-section.
> >
> > Rob McC
> 
> 
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