ASTR 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Orbital Period, Chebarkul, Ordinary Chondrite
5 Sep 2016
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15th february, 2013, people getting ready for close approach of asteroid 2012 da14. 16 hours before 2012 da14 swept past earth, a small westbound asteroid blazed over chelyabinsk, Effect: sonic booms, shattered windows, damaged buildings, etc. Wonders if this event was linked to 2013 da14 were quickly erased when astronomers determined that the parent meteoroid had an eccentric orbit typical of an apollo near-earth-asteroid. Luminous head comes from the shock-heated air surrounding it. Air becomes ionized and glows similar to the way a flame does. Plasma radiated enough heat to vaporize the intruder"s outer skin, forming a trail behind object. Concussive atmospheric blast was picked up by 17 ctbto microbarograph arrays. Most energetic asteroid impact since tunguska event in 1908. Diameter of asteroid prior to entry: about 17 meters. Probably experienced other impacts in space before encounter with earth. Disintegration 23 km high showered fragments over 100s of square kms. Some fragments estimated to weigh nearly half a ton.
