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To: ProtectOurFreedom

If it’s rock going 11 miles/sec, the atmosphere is going to cause it to break up at high altitude.

A solid iron meteor might stay together long enough to reach the ground.


25 posted on 03/15/2022 10:11:58 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (A Leftist can't enjoy life unless they are controlling, hurting, or destroying others)
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To: SauronOfMordor; ProtectOurFreedom
Atmospheric density drops off markedly with altitude, so its pretty tenuous for most of the trip, and at 11 mi/sec will meet up with, and make the entire journey through most of the atmospheric mass in the final one second.

The Earth's surface (and us) receive more protection from the random nature of all the millions of orbits (in three dimensions) and distances involved. Despite that, the Earth is and has been continually bombarded by mostly-water solar system debris for billions of years.

Composition is important, but so is mass. A carbonaceous chondrite that starts out about the size of a car will probably litter its way through the atmosphere, but there's a decent chance a piece the size of some kind of sports ball will reach the ground. Metallic chunks are less likely to break up on the way in.

33 posted on 03/15/2022 2:02:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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