Space rock on my mantlepiece

[M Holmes]

Jill Strobridge writes:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "M Holmes" <fofp at HOLYROOD.ED.AC.UK>
> To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.ISPNETINC.NET>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 5:17 PM
> Subject: Re: Space rock on my mantlepiece
>
>
> > Another thought on why Lunar meteorites may be relatively rare:
> >
> > With impacts of a certain size, chunks of the Moon might indeed
> > be
> > imparted lunar escape velocity, but might then go into Earth
> > orbity
>
> Wouldn't that lead to the equivalent of a ring of debris around the
> Earth - I know there are loads of micro meteorites in orbit but
> lunar debris lurking around?

It'd have to be an awfully big bang to produce a ring of stuff and a
bang that big would put most into solar orbit. I'm sure there will be
lunar debris floating around the Earth/Moon system but remember that a
lot of it would just get hoovered up by the Moon again.

> Is it possible that Lunar
> impacts produce dust rather than fragments or maybe Lunar fragments
> that reach Earth are more likely to disintegrate when they hit the
> atmosphere?

Could be. Obviously size is important as far as making it through the
atmosphere is concerned.

FoFP