[meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Goes Through Window inIllinois

[Chris Peterson]

> Was Mr. Heisig snooping around on MeteoriteCentral yesterday?  ;-)
> Whoops -- I was off by 1 degree on the angle.  Guess that computer
> desk is a little shallower than I imagined, or the homeowner has
> bedroom windows more than 8 feet off the floor.  Whether 19 degrees
> or 20 degrees from vertical, it still isn't possible for an iron
> meteorite without the benefit of a carom off an object outside that
> window.

That was my first thought, too (I've certainly modeled enough falls). 
But on giving the matter more thought, I note that the shape of this 
object is rather wing like. That being the case, especially given its 
small size and low weight, I don't see why aerodynamics as it tumbled 
couldn't impart a certain degree of horizontal velocity. Consider how a 
leaf falls to the ground. This horizontal component would be random and 
probably time-variant, with no relation to the original fall direction 
(assuming this is a meteorite, which seems doubtful).

Chris

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


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matson, Robert" <ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Suspected Meteorite Goes Through Window 
inIllinois


> Hi All,
>
>> Suspected meteorite goes through window
>> Eric Heisig
>> The Daily Vidette
>> March 6, 2007
>>
>> At a 71-degree angle, going 60 mph, an object went through the house
>> of Bloomington residents David and Dee Riddle at 9:40 a.m. Monday
>> morning.
>
> Was Mr. Heisig snooping around on MeteoriteCentral yesterday?  ;-)
> Whoops -- I was off by 1 degree on the angle.  Guess that computer
> desk is a little shallower than I imagined, or the homeowner has
> bedroom windows more than 8 feet off the floor.  Whether 19 degrees
> or 20 degrees from vertical, it still isn't possible for an iron
> meteorite without the benefit of a carom off an object outside that
> window.
>
>> From there, the Fire Department came with Geiger counters to make
>> sure it was not radioactive.
>
> Can someone please go on "American Idol" or "Deal or No Deal" or
> "QI" and tell the world that meteorites are not measurably
> radioactive by Fire Department Geiger counters?
>
>> Crime scene officials also came to investigate the ballistics
>> of the impact.  "They did say it was a meteorite, but it needed
>> to be tested," Riddle said.
>
> So now CSI personnel are experts at meteorite identification?
>
>> Professors from ISU were also called to look at the scene and
>> many of them, after dong some preliminary studies, said they
>> speculate it is a meteorite.  "From what I know, this is
>> consistent with meteorites," Jay Anser, a general education
>> lab coordinator for the department of Physics, said.
>
> "General education lab coordinator"?  Did they ask the high
> school principal or the janitor for their opinions, too?
>
>> Dave Malone, a professor in the department of Geology, said
>> he is 80 percent sure this is a meteorite.
>
> Nice try, Mr. Malone.  Please have a seat.
>
>> It is uncommon for meteorites to actually hit the ground.
>
> This sentence has to be the best quote from the whole article!
> But wait ... not so fast.  They're sort of right -- 70% of them
> hit water!
>
>> Even if the geologists at ISU are certain, there are tests
>> that need to be done to confirm whether or not it is a
>> meteorite.
>
> What do you mean, "tests?"  I thought a show of hands was all
> we needed?  After all, that's how "science" works for Global
> Warming -- if 90% of scientists say it's true, then by golly
> it must be.  The science is settled!
>
>> The object will need to be sent out in order to determine
>> whether or not it is in fact a meteorite.
>
> I'm picturing a scene similar to the following exchange
> from _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_...
>
> BEDEMIR:  There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
> CROWD:  Are there?  What are they?
> BEDEMIR:  Tell me, what do you do with witches?
> VILLAGER #2:  Burn!
> CROWD:  Burn, burn them up!
> BEDEMIR:  And what do you burn apart from witches?
> VILLAGER #1:  More witches!
> VILLAGER #2:  Wood!
> BEDEMIR:  So, why do witches burn?
>   [pause]
> VILLAGER #3:  B--... 'cause they're made of wood...?
> BEDEMIR:  Goooood!
> CROWD:  Oh yeah, yeah...
> BEDEMIR:  So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood?
> VILLAGER #1:  Build a bridge out of her.
> BEDEMIR:  Aah, but can you not also build bridges out of stone?
> VILLAGER #2:  Oh, yeah.
> BEDEMIR:  Does wood sink in water?
> VILLAGER #1:  No, no.
> VILLAGER #2:  It floats!  It floats!
> VILLAGER #1:  Throw her into the pond!  Tie weights on her!
> CROWD:  The pond!
> BEDEMIR:  What also floats in water?
> VILLAGER #1:  Bread!
> VILLAGER #2:  Apples!
> VILLAGER #3:  Very small rocks!  [ed. Meteorites?  ;-)]
> VILLAGER #1:  Cider!
> VILLAGER #2:  Great gravy!
> VILLAGER #1:  Cherries!
> VILLAGER #2:  Mud!
> VILLAGER #3:  Churches -- churches!
> VILLAGER #2:  Lead -- lead!
> SIR ARTHUR:  A duck.
> CROWD:  Ooooooh.....
> BEDEMIR:  Exactly!  So, logically...
> VILLAGER #1:  If... she.. weighs the same as a duck ..., she's
>              made of wood.
> BEDEMIR:  And therefore--?
> VILLAGER #1:  A witch!
> CROWD:  A witch!
> BEDEMIR:  We shall use my larger scales!
>
> (Suspected witch on one pan of a giant equal-arm balance, a
> duck on the other...)
>
> BEDEMIR:  Right, remove the supports!
>      [whop]
>      [creak]
> (Pans balance perfectly.)
>
> CROWD:  A witch!  A witch!
> WITCH:  It's a fair cop.