ANSWERS: 4
  • Hmmm. I think if you could get the meteorite to *slow down* (something they're not famous for), it's position and rotation would depend on its specific shape. All meteorites are different, of course, and the passage of air over the surface would determine how it behaves. The trouble is... most meteorites become violent explosions because of the incredible heat generated by their incredible speed. That heat produces turbulence which alters everything, even if the thing doesn't blow up or incinerate before it hits the ground. So get your pen out, and write to Mythbusters -- tell 'em to steer a big meteorite toward the Earth, and hook sensors on it. Adam loves that shit, especially if it might blow up.
  • at 14 to 40 miles per second they don't fall into earth, they Drive thru the atmosphere, and sometime's intercept the ground. max speed of free fall to earth is 7 mi. (no drag all the way) a second, while they go twice that to almost 6 times that speed. ie. park something at 250,000 Km. from earth in line with the earth sum axisand allow it to free fall to earth it would achieve a 7 mile per second terminal velocity at surface.
  • Meteorites travel far too quickly. From space to the ground is only a matter of seconds. Ones shown in most movies are unrealistically slow.
  • it's position while falling will depend on it's center of gravity. Just like the old dump bombs which used to be dropped in WWI & WW2. the bomb eventually points downward onto it's head.

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