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Re: (meteorobs) Fwd: Meteorite said to start backyard fire
In a message dated 12/6/00 10:32:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, k0xp@asusdot net
writes:
<< But the point is that even some man-made machines
going through the atmosphere can get awfully darn hot; so why not meteors
of a large-enough size to survive ablation? >>
The interior of the meteoroid is extremely cold. As it heats up to
incandescence, the outer laters slough off, taking the accumulated heat with
them. This process continues until it no longer is going fast enough to glow
and thus a lot cooler. The interior meanwhile stays extremely cold. The heat
from the outer layer never gets a chance to conduct towards the interior.
During the dark stage of flight, the bulk of the heat that is left is
continuously dissipated into the surrounding air, still leaving the interior
quite cool. The free fall part of dark flight can takes several minutes
before hitting the ground. No matter how hot a meteorite was during it's
meteor phase, a lot of heat can be dissipated with continuous cool air
blowing over the outer surface for several minutes. The interior is already
cold. By the time it hits the ground, just minor residual heat would be left
to notice.
GeoZay
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