[meteorite-list] "Meteoroid Hits the Moon" Article Question

[Chris Peterson]

Technically, "fireball" refers to a bright meteor, which of course can't 
happen on the Moon. But any collision that produces a lot of kinetic 
energy- which describes most meteoroid impacts on the Moon- is capable 
of generating an optical flash as material is vaporized at temperatures 
high enough to ionize. Depending on the material and gases produced, 
there might be a short period of true burning (that is, combustion via 
oxidation), but that isn't necessary to get a flash- what the article 
calls a fireball.

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Groetz" <mpg444 at yahoo.com>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2006 5:43 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] "Meteoroid Hits the Moon" Article Question


   Sorry for the ignorant question- but if someone
could help me with this I would really appreciate it.
   Ref: The current issue of Meteorite Magazine (Aug.
'06) Pg 5 news article.
   There are a couple of references to a fireball upon
impact.
   My question is- if the moon does not have an
atmosphere as such- how could there be a "fireball"
without the gasses (oxygen, etc.) to burn?
   I could understand a large cloud of impact material
ejected- but a true fireball?
   Sorry if maybe I am just reading this out of
context.

   Thank you if you can help me understand.
Take care
Mike