Guy killed by meteorite in India?

Would figure, population density being what it is there. But take it with a grain of salt, those weird 3rd world stories are usually lies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2...hief-minister/

On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 5:37:14 PM UTC-5, RichA wrote:
Would figure, population density being what it is there. But take it with a grain of salt, those weird 3rd world stories are usually lies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2...hief-minister/

India's population density isn't remarkably high, about three times the world average, four times that of the US, but less than that of the Netherlands, Lebanon or South Korea. We can say that ~1 of 7 people hit or killed by objects from space would be in India at the time, based on current population stats.

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about three people to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

The roof in this incident gave partial protection to the victim:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...nce-space-hit/

On 09/02/2016 12:59, wrote:
On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 5:37:14 PM UTC-5, RichA wrote:
Would figure, population density being what it is there. But take it with a grain of salt, those weird 3rd world stories are usually lies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2...hief-minister/

India's population density isn't remarkably high, about three times the world average,
four times that of the US, but less than that of the Netherlands,
Lebanon or South Korea.

It does combine a fair amount of area with that density though.

We can say that ~1 of 7 people hit or killed by objects from space
would be in India at the time, based on current population stats.

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough
to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about
three people
to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a
closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

That number seems a bit high for things that reach the ground. I know
there is a heck of a lot of magnetic dust but anything capable of doing
actual damage landing in an inhabited area tends to make the news.

The surprising thing about this report is that there are no images of
the smoke trail hanging in the sky afterwards or of sonic booms.

The roof in this incident gave partial protection to the victim:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...nce-space-hit/


The terminal velocity of smaller meteorites and fragments thereof tends
to limit their capacity to cause injury. Damage by meteorite was
excluded on Japanese insurance policies when we lived there and there
was a significant hit leading to children picking up valuable bits of
meteorite off the roads and fields. Nice catalogue of the most
interesting meteorites witnessed and collected is at:

http://www.icq.eps.harvard.edu/meteorites.html

France has clocked 60 noticed ones in the past 400 years - most recently:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...mily-home.html

There were probably lots of other fragments landed but this one got
noticed. Chondrites tend to break up in the atmosphere but denser
nickel-iron ones arrive in larger lumps and pack a much bigger punch.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 9:14:38 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/02/2016 12:59, wsnell01 wrote:
On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 5:37:14 PM UTC-5, RichA wrote:
Would figure, population density being what it is there. But take it with a grain of salt, those weird 3rd world stories are usually lies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2...hief-minister/

India's population density isn't remarkably high, about three times the world average,
four times that of the US, but less than that of the Netherlands,
Lebanon or South Korea.

It does combine a fair amount of area with that density though.

Irrelevant. The chance that any particular person would be hit is constant, AEBE.

We can say that ~1 of 7 people hit or killed by objects from space
would be in India at the time, based on current population stats.

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough
to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about
three people
to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a
closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

That number seems a bit high for things that reach the ground.

You'll have to present your numbers then.

Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/02/2016 12:59, wrote:
On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 5:37:14 PM UTC-5, RichA wrote:
Would figure, population density being what it is there. But take it
with a grain of salt, those weird 3rd world stories are usually lies.

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2...hief-minister/

India's population density isn't remarkably high, about three times the world average,
four times that of the US, but less than that of the Netherlands,
Lebanon or South Korea.

It does combine a fair amount of area with that density though.

We can say that ~1 of 7 people hit or killed by objects from space
would be in India at the time, based on current population stats.

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough
to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about
three people
to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a
closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

That number seems a bit high for things that reach the ground. I know
there is a heck of a lot of magnetic dust but anything capable of doing
actual damage landing in an inhabited area tends to make the news.

The surprising thing about this report is that there are no images of
the smoke trail hanging in the sky afterwards or of sonic booms.

The roof in this incident gave partial protection to the victim:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...nce-space-hit/


The terminal velocity of smaller meteorites and fragments thereof tends
to limit their capacity to cause injury. Damage by meteorite was
excluded on Japanese insurance policies when we lived there and there
was a significant hit leading to children picking up valuable bits of
meteorite off the roads and fields. Nice catalogue of the most
interesting meteorites witnessed and collected is at:

http://www.icq.eps.harvard.edu/meteorites.html

France has clocked 60 noticed ones in the past 400 years - most recently:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/scie...mily-home.html

There were probably lots of other fragments landed but this one got
noticed. Chondrites tend to break up in the atmosphere but denser
nickel-iron ones arrive in larger lumps and pack a much bigger punch.


http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...cle8207711.ece

On Tue, 9 Feb 2016 14:14:02 +0000, Martin Brown
wrote:

The surprising thing about this report is that there are no images of
the smoke trail hanging in the sky afterwards or of sonic booms.

That's not the only surprising thing. In fact, nothing about the story
is consistent with a meteorite impact. It was almost certainly some
kind of ground-based explosion- old ordinance, a bomb, explosive
chemicals, etc.

On 09/02/2016 14:38, wrote:
On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 9:14:38 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/02/2016 12:59, wsnell01 wrote:

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough
to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about
three people
to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a
closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

That number seems a bit high for things that reach the ground.

You'll have to present your numbers then.

The entire global catalogue of distinct known confirmed meteorite finds
is only about 22000 in all of history up to 2000.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/metcat/

Current running totals are about 20000 in Antarctica, and USA and Libya
tied at 1300 each then a long tail of smaller values.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/dat...erCountry.dsml

Modern satellite monitoring gives a much higher estimate in line with
your number. Meteorite flux estimates for global hit rate and mass 10g
is about 42000 according to Zolensky et Al p875

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/books/MESSII/9021.pdf

So about 13k will hit ground rather than ocean but only the ones with
masses 100g really stand out well enough to be recognised for what they
are and the rest just vanish into the earth.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 11:17:11 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/02/2016 14:38, wsnell01 wrote:
On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 9:14:38 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/02/2016 12:59, wsnell01 wrote:

Assuming about 15,000 new meteorites on land per year (that are large enough
to get attention, should they hit someone) we should expect about
three people
to get hit each year, assuming that everyone is never under a roof, in a
closed vehicle, under a dense tree canopy, etc.

That number seems a bit high for things that reach the ground.

You'll have to present your numbers then.

The entire global catalogue of distinct known confirmed meteorite finds
is only about 22000 in all of history up to 2000.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/metcat/

Current running totals are about 20000 in Antarctica, and USA and Libya
tied at 1300 each then a long tail of smaller values.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/dat...erCountry.dsml

Modern satellite monitoring gives a much higher estimate in line with
your number. Meteorite flux estimates for global hit rate and mass 10g
is about 42000 according to Zolensky et Al p875

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/books/MESSII/9021.pdf

So about 13k will hit ground rather than ocean but only the ones with
masses 100g really stand out well enough to be recognised for what they
are and the rest just vanish into the earth.

Or make strange dents on the sheet metal of a very few cars each year, among other possibilities.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...y-reports.html

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 8:45:41 AM UTC-7, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Tue, 9 Feb 2016 14:14:02 +0000, Martin Brown
wrote:

The surprising thing about this report is that there are no images of
the smoke trail hanging in the sky afterwards or of sonic booms.

That's not the only surprising thing. In fact, nothing about the story
is consistent with a meteorite impact. It was almost certainly some
kind of ground-based explosion- old ordinance, a bomb, explosive
chemicals, etc.

I thought the story was about a man being killed because a ground-based
explosion happened to be triggered by a meteorite impact... _on_ some explosive
chemicals.

But reading a story about it, I find that no traces of explosives were found at
the scene, so it's a mystery at this point - the meteorite obviously couldn't
have done this by itself.

John Savard

On Wednesday, 10 February 2016 17:07:57 UTC+1, Quadibloc wrote:
On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 8:45:41 AM UTC-7, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Tue, 9 Feb 2016 14:14:02 +0000, Martin Brown
wrote:

The surprising thing about this report is that there are no images of
the smoke trail hanging in the sky afterwards or of sonic booms.

That's not the only surprising thing. In fact, nothing about the story
is consistent with a meteorite impact. It was almost certainly some
kind of ground-based explosion- old ordinance, a bomb, explosive
chemicals, etc.

I thought the story was about a man being killed because a ground-based
explosion happened to be triggered by a meteorite impact... _on_ some explosive
chemicals.

But reading a story about it, I find that no traces of explosives were found at
the scene, so it's a mystery at this point - the meteorite obviously couldn't
have done this by itself.

John Savard

Denmark has just had a meteorite incident. It caused impact damage to concrete paving slabs in a builder's yard with the fallen material donated to science. A woman used a magnet to collect more material from her back garden. Numerous security cameras recorded a bright fireball lighting up the sky. No recorded deaths or injuries.