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Re: (meteorobs) Re:Fireballs vs. meteorites



On Fri, 20 Feb 1998 21:27:03 EST, you wrote:

FYI:

A meteor that is10^^-6 meters in diameter or smaller will survive re-entry.
They are able to dissipate the heat quickly enough.  I assume that once a meteor
also reaches this size, it will cease burning andjust radiate the heat.  I think
this estimate is for iron meteors.

Paul Curran  
 
> My feeling is that the faint meteors never survive re-entry. The huge rocks
> that come in are very bright and when they reach terminal velocity and
>explode
> that when the shatter into the different size pieces, including the small
>(few
> gram) pieces. So I guess that all the meteorites that survive show as bright
> fireballs.
>  >>
>
>Kevin,
>The way I understand it, the very small micrometeorites that falls to earth
>intact is due to them being able to dissipate the heat from air friction as
>fast it occurs...thus not burning up and later drifting to earth.
>George Zay


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