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Re: (meteorobs) Re: March 9th, 2000, Arkansas fireball

In a message dated 3/16/00 11:03:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
stuart@ficnetdot net writes:

<< I disagree.     The Peekskill meteor was white hot in the video, when it 
was very close to
 ground. >>

Yes it was white hot in the video, but at that point the meteor was about 30 
to 50 miles up and probably at least equal distance away from the person 
taking the video. The meteor reached terminal velocity, exploded and then 
fell to earth (no longer glowing) like rain - cooling all the way down. 


<<The fact that it did not ignite the car was probably because it hit
 beside the taillight, not the petrol tank or soft trim. I have no doubt that 
it
 could have set dry scrub alight had it landed on it. Not much dry scrub in 
NYC;
 some scrub in Japan, but not usually dry.>>

The fact that it did not ignite the car was because the stone was not 
burning. BTW Peekskill is about 125 miles north of NYC.
 
 <<    It would be nice to have the god-like wisdom required to be able to 
make
 absolute statements such as 'Meteorites don't start fires'. >>

Not god-like wisdom but after reading about and collecting meteorites for 
about 10 years just some common knowledge. 
There is an out of print books entitled "Catalogue of Meteorites", some 
giving eyewitness accounts, and no fires were started by any of the thousands 
of meteorites listed. 

In 1911 a dog was killed (blunt trauma I guess) when a piece of Nahkla struck 
it. It was later determined that the meteorite was from Mars - it was the 
first time a Martian killed an Earthling (until in NJ during War of the 
Worlds)  :)

In 1954, a meteorite came through a roof in Alabama and actually struck a 
woman on the hip - neither the house nor the woman were burned. The woman 
survived...

In 1969 Mexican farmers witness the Allende fall with no reports of fires.

Between 1803 and 1992 there have been at least 25 observed fall and guess 
what was never reported?

I suggest picking up and reading "<A 
HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878423737/qid%3D953255481/104-10
36673-4112408">Rocks from Space</A>" by O. Richard Norton. It is a terrific 
book for the meteorite novice.


Kevin K

"I'm all for individuality...just as long as everyone does it."
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