Scientists Uncover Secret , Behind the Strange Behavior , of Earthbound Meteorites.
'The Independent' reports that scientists
now understand why rocks survive entry
into the Earth's atmosphere as meteorites. .
Most of our meteorites fall from rocks
the size of grapefruits to small cars, Peter Jenniskens, lead author and meteor astronomer at SETI Institute and Nasa Ames Research Center, via 'The Independent'.
Rocks that big do not spin fast enough
to spread the heat during the brief meteor
phase, and we now have evidence that
the backside survives to the ground, Peter Jenniskens, lead author and meteor astronomer at SETI Institute and Nasa Ames Research Center, via 'The Independent'.
A 6-meter asteroid detected in 2008 helped
researchers more fully understand meteorites. .
Scientists tracked the asteroid for over
20 hours before it hit Earth's atmosphere.
The impact created a bright meteor that
disintegrated over the Nubian Desert of Sudan
and ended with a shower of meteorites.
The impact created a bright meteor that
disintegrated over the Nubian Desert of Sudan
and ended with a shower of meteorites.
In a series of dedicated search campaigns,
our students recovered over 600 meteorites,
some as big as a fist, but most
no bigger than a thumbnail, Muawia Shaddad,
University of Khartoum professor,
via 'The Independent'.
In a series of dedicated search campaigns,
our students recovered over 600 meteorites,
some as big as a fist, but most
no bigger than a thumbnail, Muawia Shaddad,
University of Khartoum professor,
via 'The Independent'.
Friction in the atmosphere stopped
the smallest meteorites from reaching Earth,
while larger pieces survived the fall.
The largest meteorites from 2008 TC3
were spread wider than the small ones,
which means that they originated
from this final collapse, Peter Jenniskens, lead author and meteor astronomer at SETI Institute and Nasa Ames Research Center, via 'The Independent'.
Based on where they
were found, we concluded that these
pieces stayed relatively large
all the way to the ground, Peter Jenniskens, lead author and meteor astronomer at SETI Institute and Nasa Ames Research Center, via 'The Independent'.
The team's findings were published
in 'Meteoritics and Planetary Science.'