[meteorite-list] "The high-pitched scream"?

[Sterling K. Webb]

Hi, Mark,

    That "high-pitched scream" you hear 
as the one kilometer impactor drops on the 
planet is not coming from the impactor -- 
it's coming from us!
    My research indicates about half the 
human population emits a "high-pitched 
scream" while the other half creates a strong 
low-frequency rumble that sounds alot like 
"Oh, Sh----!"


Sterling K. Webb
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Crawford" <mark at meteorites.cc>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] "The high-pitched scream"?


Hi folks,

On another forum someone posted about a recent TV programme he'd watched 
about NEOs.  At the end the guest astronomer said something to the 
effect that "the first we know about an incoming impactor could be the 
high-pitched scream as it speeds through the atmosphere."

It got me wondering; a sizeable body would be travelling at cosmic (ie 
very supersonic) velocity right through to impact, and therefore the 
"scream" should trail behind the object - in other words, we wouldn't 
even get that much warning.

Was the speaker using poetic license or would there be any kind of 
fore-shock?

Mark

-- 
Mark's Meteorite Pages: http://meteorites.cc

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