Rob, Thanks for your response, as always it's educating and enlightening.
To answer your question:
"...Let me counter your theory with one question: Why should a
meteorite stream have orbital characteristics that are synchronous
with earth's day, or more specifically earth's geography?..."
It shouldn't and it doesn't have to have anything in common other than
be in the same place at the same time. There are countless variables to
consider, it's not impossible... The second piece could have had an 11
year elliptical orbit which placed it in that exact spot 11 years
later... ;)
What are the longest period for orbits of known asteroids?
Regards,
Eric
On 3/7/2010 4:47 PM, Rob Matson wrote:
Hi Eric,
Statistically it seems very possible they are related and from
the same parent body. In fact the probability of them NOT being
related seems remote as it doesn't make sense not to consider
the likelihood of a pairing relationship.
The only factor about the two Wethersfield falls that suggests a
pairing is the L6 classification they share. However, since L6 is
one of the most common meteorite classifications, it's hardly
compelling evidence for a common immediate precursor body (IPB).
Has anyone looked at Google Earth and zoomed out to see how small
a spot that actually is? That's like shooting a speeding bullet
out of the air with another. The Earth is rotating ~365 times per
year, x 11 years that's 4015 rotations of the earth and 11 complete
orbits around the Sun. Two small rocks of the same exact type
floated around the solar system for millions/billions of years,
and crash land within 1.4 miles of each other only 11 years
apart and they are not related?
Let me counter your theory with one question: Why should a
meteorite stream have orbital characteristics that are synchronous
with earth's day, or more specifically earth's geography?
Think about it: there is no dynamical mechanism to produce such
synchronicity. It is far more likely that truly paired meteorites
falling in different years would do so in completely different
parts of the world. Given the miniscule fraction of falls that are
successfully recovered each year, the odds are very long that two
falls -- in different years -- will ever be recovered that provably
came from the same IPB.
--Rob
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