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Indonesian asteriod on October 8th ..

 
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brian livesey



Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 2965
Location: Lancashire
PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:33 am    Post subject: Indonesian asteriod on October 8th .. Reply with quote
A ten metre asteroid entered the atmosphere over Indonesia and exploded with a force of 50 kilotons: www.spaceweather.com .
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stella



Joined: 03 Dec 2004
Posts: 1177
Location: 55° 57'N: 03° 08'W
PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I suppose that's what you call a 'bone-shaker'.
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brian livesey



Joined: 09 Jan 2006
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
A good definition, Stella. Surprised We can only wonder how inclined the object must have been when it entered the atmosphere.
Would a 10 metre wide asteroid, entering on a steep incline, have time to vaporise in the atmosphere?
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david entwistle



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 660
Location: Goosnargh, north of Preston, UK
PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
brian livesey wrote:
Would a 10 metre wide asteroid, entering on a steep incline, have time to vaporise in the atmosphere?


It's a complex question which is difficult to answer with certaintity as there are a large number of variables involved and the science involved isn't fully understood. However, you can use the Earth Impact Effects Program to give an indication of the consequence.

There's a little additional information regarding the event here. This suggests that an realistic entry velocity for a NEO would be 20.3 km/s.

The program suggest that the likely outcome would have been and air burst at several kilometres altitude, with the remaining fragments loosing the bulk of their cosmic velocity. Pieces of a significant size reaching the Earth's surface in free fall.

So, not fully vapourised, but the atmosphere still does a very good job of protecting us.
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