(meteorobs) Earth-grazer definition question

[Chris Peterson]

AFAIK there is no formal definition. Personally, I use the term for any 
meteor that enters at a very shallow angle- a few degrees or less. Most 
meteors that I'd call "Earth grazing" burn up at high altitude before 
anything can pass back out of the atmosphere.

If the distinction is important, I'd qualify it.

Chris

*******************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On 11/19/2015 4:21 PM, Thomas Ashcraft wrote:
> Definition of an earth-grazing fireball from wiki:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth-grazing_fireball
>
> " An *Earth-grazing fireball* (or *Earth-grazer*)^[2]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth-grazing_fireball#cite_note-2> is a
> fireball <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireball_%28meteor%29>, a very
> bright meteor <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor> that enters Earth’s
> atmosphere <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%E2%80%99s_atmosphere>
> and leaves again."
>
> Does an earth-grazer have to leave earth's atmosphere to be called an
> earth-grazer?  Can it skim and ablate or burn up entirely and still be
> termed an earth-grazer?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Thomas