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Re: Fireballs o' Doom (was Re: (meteorobs)http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/021698f.htm)
Hi Lew:
Yipes is the correct words I used when I seen that article in Florida Today
Space On-Line.
From Article:
Revelle said he's excited about the meteorite activity, but he can't
account for it.
The reports describe a smoke trail following the fireballs -- or bolides,
which are exploding meteors.
"The smoke trail is an indication that the object was quite big and
strong," Revelle said. "Over the globe we see objects that are about a
meter across an average of only 12 times a year."
Last Oct. 10, a meteorite crashed near West Texas and New Mexico; then on
Dec. 9, a large fireball crashed near Greenland, and on Dec. 13, a
meteorite was seen across hundreds of miles, from Minnesota and Wisconsin
south into Iowa and northern Missouri.
Revelle said history may give us some insight into the meaning of the
increase in fireball activity.
About 60 million years ago, an asteroid crashed into the Earth and kicked
up enough dust to blot out the sun. Some scientists believe this resulted
in the death of more than 80 percent of all animals and led to the
extinction of dinosaurs.
"These events seem to occur every 60 million years, give or take 10
million," he said. "We're about three million years short of 60 million.
"In order to defend the Earth from a large meteor, we would need to know
about it while it was months away to deflect it," he said. "If we knew
about it when it was weeks away, it would be too late."
------------------------------------- end of article
-----------------------------------
These are a few of the quotes of Doug Revelle of LANL which I interpreted
to mean what your response said yipes to. Dr Revelle seems to be saying we
are overdue for impacts. Dr Revelle seems to be saying we are having an
unusual number of large bolides from unusual angles. He seems to be saying
that these kinds of events usually preceed larger impacts of the extinction
size. How do you interpret his remarks.
clearer skies to you,
Victor
----------
> From: Karen Simmons & Lew Gramer <lewkaren@tiacdot net>
> To: Meteor Observers Mailing List <meteorobs@latrade.com>
> Cc: Lew Gramer <dedalus@latrade.com>
> Subject: Fireballs o' Doom (was Re:
(meteorobs)http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/021698f.htm)
> Date: Tuesday, February 17, 1998 11:49 PM
>
> >Could all these fireballs be the precursors to the big rock?
> >Is an extinction period beating at our door in the form of
> >mounting numbers of bolides?
>
> Yipes, Victor! Well, before we all run out screaming to buy bolide pills,
> can I ask what this last statement is based on? Are there some studies I
> haven't heard about positing increased meteorite impact and/or fireball
> instances?
>
>