(meteorobs) man almost hit by meteorite in Iowa or Nebraska

Terry Richardson richardsont at cofc.edu
Sun Jul 3 08:59:47 EDT 2005


Given the parameters (horizontal flight, 65 foot range and 1.5 feet 
above his head) I calculate a velocity of 65 miles per hour which is 
slow enough that someone (even an old guy like me) could have easily 
thrown an object that fast if its mass were not to large.

I doubt this guy is another Mrs. H. Hodges (woman in Alabama hit by a 
meteorite in the 50s).

Terry Richardson
Department of Physics and Astronomy
College of Charleston,
Charleston, SC 29424
office: 843 953-8071
pager: 843 937-1048



On Jul 2, 2005, at 6:49 PM, skywise wrote:

> David Entwistle wrote:
>> In message <55.7660989b.2ff86833 at aol.com>, KCStarguy at aol.com writes
>>> Supposedly quite recentyly a man was almost hit by a meteorite in a 
>>> field. I can't find any info by using google. Anyone know where to 
>>> find it.
>>>
>> News report at The OmahaChannel.com
>> http://www.theomahachannel.com/news/4672177/detail.html
>
> I'm not a meteor expert but this guy's story doesn't jive with
> what I do know about meteors.
>
>    "It came over my head, probably, about a foot and a half.
>     I could feel the breeze," Kinzie said. "It was silver and
>     it kind of had red and black on the back of it and smoke."
>
>     The object landed about 65 feet from where Kinzie was watering.
>
>    "I stood ... here looking at it, 'cause it was still glowing. I
>     says, 'Wow,'" Kinzie said.
>
> Smoking and glowing? I thought meteors were dark and cold by the
> time they hit the ground.
>
> Also, his described trajectory doesn't make sense either. If it
> buzzed his head so close he could feel the breeze, but landed 65
> feet away, that implies it was moving nearly horizontally.
>
> I'm wondering if someone didn't just chuck a flaming hot coal at
> the guy for making too much noise in the morning while watering his
> lawn.
>
> Brian
> -- 
> http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
>
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>
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>
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