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Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!fred
From: fred@mnetor.UUCP (Fred Williams)
Newsgroups: net.aviation,net.astro
Subject: Re: Something else to watch out for!
Message-ID: <1031@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Jun-85 15:18:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: mnetor.1031
Posted: Mon Jun 17 15:18:53 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Jun-85 16:28:27 EDT
References: <11270@brl-tgr.ARPA> <263@gcc-bill.ARPA>
Reply-To: fred@mnetor.UUCP (Fred Williams)
Distribution: net
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 33
Xref: utcs net.aviation:1600 net.astro:679
Summary: 

In article <263@gcc-bill.ARPA> lip@gcc-bill.UUCP (Seth Lipkin) writes:
>In article <11270@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
>>What caused this? Well, the theory is that that airplane had the first 
>>observed encounter with a meteor. A several-ton meteor, of several meters
>>diameter, perhaps composed of mostly ice with some stony fragments, could
>>have hit that cloud layer on its way down through the atmosphere.
>
>Shouldn't that be *meteorite*?
>
	It is a meteor until it hits the ground. However I doubt that it
was. From what I remember of the original posting the observer saw
clouds building at a very high rate. The vertical wind rate in some
thunderstorm clouds can be very high. Condensation of water vapour
liberates heat to expand the air in the cloud and the process feeds
on itself. Updrafts in excess of 200 mph have been inferred from the
size of hail stones. (ie. that is the speed required to support the
stone during formation). I expect watching the cloud form would be
quite a sight. I wish I could see one myself someday. (from a safe
distance, of coarse). 
	This does not represent that only explanation, but probably
one more likely than a meteor. I suppose it depends on how fast the
cloud built and how accurate the measurements were.

Cheers,		Fred Williams

>                             Seth Lipkin
>                             General Computer Company
>                             harvard!gcc-bill!lip
>
>"Is art the mirror of life, or what?" 
>                                         - Woody Allen