[meteorite-list] A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife

[Meteorites USA]

Hi Sterling, List,

Calling the irregular wobbling or spinning meteoroid "suspect" seems to 
imply there's an overly complex explanation here? Forgive me. I'm not 
sure what "electrodynamic interaction" is, but physically speaking isn't 
the image explainable by an oblong or asymmetrical meteoroid tumbling 
through the atmosphere then twisting into a spiral by the aerodynamic 
forces exerted on it. Not unlike a curve-ball thrown by a pitcher?

 From my point of view it seems like a side on view of a spiral smoke 
train left by a weirdly shaped object entering our atmosphere that 
flipped and spiraled through the air. Am I reaching or is it too hard to 
believe that a space rock can spiral through the air upon entry and 
leave such a trail?

The only question I had was the frame rate/shutter speed at which this 
image was captured... If the image frame was taken in 1/25 of a second, 
there a big difference in the elapsed time between a five minute 
exposure, which this image does not seem to be from. So I looked it up...

The data from the image states:
Canon EOS 20D
Shutter Speed: 1.0 (meaning 1 second, not one minute) If it were one 
minute this would say "Bulb" if I remember correctly.
Exposure Program: Manual
F-Stop: f/0.0
ISO: 1600
No Flash

This data suggests that it's not upper level winds dispersing the smoke. 
It does not seem like enough time in the 1 second the exposure was taken 
for winds to distort the smoke train such.

If the camera/tripod was bumped or jarred during the exposure please 
explain why ALL the stars in the photo aren't "squiggly" too. Only the 
smoke train is.

No offense to anyone, just my opinion of the image.

Regards,
Eric





On 6/2/2010 2:29 PM, Sterling K. Webb wrote:
> Ho,
>
> There is no 3-D to any flat image from a single
> observation site. More properly, all we can say is
> that the trail is "waved." Whether this is a side
> view of a helix or a view of a flat wave cannot
> be determined from one photograph.
>
> Clearly, the trail commences as straight and
> increasingly acquires the "wave" in the portions
> of the trail that are "older," that is, have interacted
> with the upper atmosphere for a longer and longer
> time at the moment the photo was taken.
>
> This clearly implies that the "wave" is induced by
> a progressive interaction with the atmosphere. It
> may be more of a "plasma" or electrodynamic
> interaction than simple wind.
>
> The suggestion of an irregular or wobbling or spinning
> meteoroid is suspect, as material shed with varying
> lateral motion components would disperse into an
> irregular pattern much closer to the "head" of the
> trail than what is seen here.
>
>
> Sterling K. Webb
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul H." <oxytropidoceras at cox.net>
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 4:04 PM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife
>
>
>> A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife
>> Astronomy Picture of the Day, June 2, 2010
>> http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100602.html
>>
>> "Did this meteor take a twisting path? No one is sure.
>> Considered opinions are solicited."
>>
>> APOD: A Twisted Meteor Trail Over Tenerife (2010 Jun 02)
>> http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19638
>> http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19638&sid=651816506a79643b02a83499866b4cdb&start=25 
>>
>>
>> Yours,
>>
>> Paul H.
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