Re: (meteorobs) The Vitim bolide

Hello All,

 

First, I guess I will introduce myself as I have never posted to this list.  My name is Mark Bostick, I am a meteorite collector in Wichita, Kansas, USA.  I am a writer for MeteoriteTimes and have wrote articles for Meteorite Magazine and the former Voyage Meteorite and Space Event magazine.  I also have a website, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, this is pretty much a database of meteorite and meteor newspaper articles.  Still I will I would pause to call myself a meteorite expert but will share a couple thoughts.

 

The Vitim bolide is quite interesting, and while I do not mean to counter any statement the Russian investigators have made, it does not appear to me that the impact site has been found.  This could also be due to the possible fact that statements where not represented correctly, or that the correct evidence has not been uncovered yet.

 

I think we can throw out the comet origin for lack of comet sightings that fit this case before the "impact".

 

The most commonly accepted Tunguska origin would point towards a stony meteorite origin but I wold hate to take any side before more research is done. 

 

Steve asked "Are the iron and stone meteorites always asteroid material?" 

 

All meteorites that have had their orbits plotted show an origin within the asteroid belt.  If an "asteroid" came from outside of the solar system, its speed would be much like that of comets.  Faster the closer to the sun.  If such a body hit the earth it is very unlikely that any mass would survive to become a meteorite. 

 

Kindly, Mark Bostick