Boy Hit by Meteorite

[ReconRat]

http://www.space.com/news/090612-boy-hit-by-meteorite.html#comments

This was back in June. I'm just now seeing it. Tiny little meteorite...

The comments section question whether such a tiny little rock could knock the kid down. Depends on how fast it was going. A shock wave might do it.

A study after WW2 determined that bombs dropped close to a ship caused more damage than actually hitting the ship. Both the hydraulic shock in the water, and the actual explosive impact abeam. Future studies determined that a 500 pound dumb object dropped from space, would sink a ship if it hit the water anywhere nearby. Approximately Mach 6. Which is around 4500 mph.

Soooo, calculating what size object might knock a kid down from a shock wave at Mach 6...

*crunching numbers*

ok, one tenth of a gram.... the shock wave from a near miss from a tiny 1/10 gram rock at Mach 6 or higher would easily knock a person down.

I cheated a bit, I used the weight of an aircraft carrier. But that's the prime target, so it's not far fetched... considering you need Mach 20 to get off the Earth into orbit...

[hue jass]

I love the reference to his state of mind at the time in the very technical term, "scared the bejeezus out of him"

[vectorvictor]

It doesent sound like a very german thing to say does it? I would have expected "fluchen" or "Scheiss AMERIKANER" or something like it. LOL .... i love GOOGLE!!

[kawi kid]

really what is the chances??!!

[max power]

So, what is his super power?

[Gump]

At mach 6, wouldn't it have went thru his hand? Being that small, unless very dense, i doubt it could fly that fast. Does that make sense.

Is that a puke stain on the pavement or where the rock hit?

[dmagicglock]

apparently his head is much stronger than asphalt?

I'm not buying it

[chevysoldier]

Better chance to win the lottery...12 times...in a row...

Now THIS would scare the bejeezus out of me:

On June 21, 1994, Jose Martin of Spain was driving with his wife near Madrid when a 3-pound (1.4-kilogram) meteor crashed through his windshield, bent the steering wheel and ended up in the back seat.

[chevysoldier]

apparently his hand is much stronger than asphalt?

I'm not buying it

There you go.

[timotheus]

if it was going that fast it would be like a high velocity bullet

[ReconRat]

really what is the chances??!!

Approximately zero

Originally posted by max power

So, what is his super power?

The stupid tiny rock has the super powers. It should have burned up and/or fragmented on impact. Turned to powder even. He better keep that super rock in his pocket forever...

apparently his head is much stronger than asphalt?

I'm not buying it

Lots of people read "head", it says "hand". And it missed, it never hit him. The heat and shock wave hit him.

At mach 6, wouldn't it have went thru his hand? Being that small, unless very dense, i doubt it could fly that fast. Does that make sense.

Is that a puke stain on the pavement or where the rock hit?

It missed. The heat from the miss scorched a streak on his hand. You can see it in the picture. The shallow crater on the pavement is where it hit. Heat and spalling of the surface material is visible. It was hauling ass. If it had hit him there wouldn't have been much left. Objects that make it to the ground from space can be moving as high as Mach 50+. That's 37,500+ mph.

I don't want to mess with the calculations (since the velocity is unknown), but the energy released on impact with the street, must have been about the same as a 1/4 stick of dynamite going off. Just enough to knock him down. Anymore than that and he'd be deaf or dead. From a miss.

[kawi kid]

WoW