Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by comboy on Saturday November 10, 2018 @11:07AM
(#18421885)
I agree. Perhaps shape plus angle of fall and there could have been a thick forest in that place or maybe a lake.
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Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by Nomentatus on Saturday November 10, 2018 @11:38AM
(#18422066)
FWIW, humans have survived falls from aircraft without a parachute, due to the last two reasons. Recalling some of the accounts, it helps a lot if you happen to hit on the downslope of a forested hill with just the right slope.
Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by eloff on Saturday November 10, 2018 @02:20PM
(#18422979)
Those things matter at human terminal velocity (not much mind you) but not at asteroid terminal velocity. Asteroids hit with so much speed that the kinetic energy of impact mostly overcomes the binding energy between molecules and even atoms and the impactor largely vaporizes. This is more true for comets which are looser collections of ice and rock, and more true for larger impactors.
Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by russdill on Saturday November 10, 2018 @03:02PM
(#18423185)
Impactors like that have not slowed to their terminal velocity. They either are small enough to be slowed by the atmosphere, bigger and explode in the atmosphere, bigger still and they race all the way the ground.
Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by eloff on Saturday November 10, 2018 @04:28PM
(#18423615)
you're right
Re:The Hoba meteorite, estimated at 66 tons, left no crater ...
by russdill on Saturday November 10, 2018 @06:30PM
(#18424090)
Completely off topic, but it really pisses me off that stuff like this gets covered uncritically:
https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2016/02/08/meteorite-kil...