I guess it comes down to what the eyewitness meant by "zig zagging". If we're talking about some corkscrewing motion through the sky then I can believe it was a tumbling meteorite, but if it rapidly changed direction then my vote is for a large, tumbling, very-low-density-by-comparison chunk of expended rocket stage or the like.
Cheers, MDF > Juris, indeed, most meteors we all know are moving so fast and burn up. > These large ones that drop meteorites slow down enough that the air > pressures on the body can move it around. I think it would be extremely > rare anyway, but with an odd shaped meteorite, and a hard one like an > iron, when it slows down enough, I would think that the air can easily > force it to rotate and spin. > Mike Farmer > ----- Original Message ----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 11:13 AM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteor Reported in Australia > > > In a message dated 6/30/2004 11:57:38 AM Mountain Daylight Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Portales Valley was spinning when it fell, so I think that if the body > has a > strange angled shape, that it can tumble, or spin while falling, I > doubt > that it was zig zagging as in changing directions like they suggest. > Mike Farmer > Hello Mike and List Members: > > I have seen my fair share of meteors - and can only once remember one > deviating from a straight path. It had the SLIGHTEST of ziggs to one > side about half way through its flight. This meteor was one of two that > were a couple of seconds apart, in parallel paths almost right on top of > each other. These are also the only two meteors I have ever heard - > with a distinct "woosh" after they passed. They left a trail that > lingered about for 30 seconds or so. > > Now in all fairness, this event happened 30 or so years ago.... I do > have one witness. My sister was there with me and remembers the two > meteors. Further details however are lacking in her memory. > > Juris Breikss > [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Marc D. Fries, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Associate Carnegie Institution of Washington Geophysical Laboratory 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW Washington, DC 20015 PH: 202 478 7970 FAX: 202 478 8901 ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
