(meteorobs) Re: Meteor picture from Mars?

RainerArlt rarlt at aip.de
Sat Jun 11 05:12:55 EDT 2005


>     Why do you say meteoroids entering the atmosphere of Mars have lower
> entry velocity?  The velocity of a meteoroid is dependant on its orbit.  The
> more distant, the higher the velocity as in the case of shower meteoroids
> associated with comets than the ones associated with asteroids.  

All bodies move slower if farther away from the Sun. The maximum
speed a solar system body (on a parabolic orbit) can have at the
distance Sun-Mars is only 34 km/s, compared to 42 km/s near the
Earth. This _lower_ orbital velocity adds to the _lower_ orbital
velocity of Mars, 24 km/s, and gives a maximum entry velocity of
58 km/s (plus a few decimals for accelecration). On Earth it's
72 km/s.

Best wishes,
Rainer




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