Boy Hit By Meteorite Travelling At 30,000 MPH - Aircraft of World War II

ToughOmbre · 06-12-2009, 04:34 PM

From SKYNEWS

10:22am UK, Friday June 12, 2009

A teenager was hit by a meteorite travelling at 30,000mph - and lived to tell the tale.

The meteorite struck Gerrit on the hand, and buried itself in the road

Gerrit Blank was on his way to school when he saw a massive fireball heading straight towards him from the sky.

The white-hot meteorite bounced off the schoolboy's hand and hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac - as well as a three-inch scar on his hand.

Gerrit, 14, said: "At first I just saw a large ball of light and then I suddenly felt a pain in my hand.

"Then, a split second after that, there was an enormous bang like a crash of thunder."

"The noise that came after the flash of light was so loud that my ears were ringing for hours afterwards.

"When it hit me it knocked me flying and then was still going fast enough to bury itself in the road."

Scientists are now studying the pea-sized meteorite, which crashed to Earth in Essen in Germany.

Chemical tests on the rock have now proved it is from outer space.

Ansgar Korte, director of Germany's Walter Hohmann Observatory, said: "It's a real meteorite, therefore it is very valuable to collectors and scientists."

Chances of being struck by a meteorite are around one in 100 million.

Mr Korte said: "Most meteorites don't actually make it to ground level because they evaporate in the atmosphere.

"Of those that do get through, about six out of every seven of them land in water."

There is only one other known case of a human being surviving a direct hit from a meteor.

A grapefruit-sized meteor crashed through the roof of a house in Alabama, in the USA, in 1954.

After smashing through the top of the building, it bounced off furniture and then hit a woman who was asleep at the time.

TO

Marcel · 06-12-2009, 04:42 PM

Don't believe it, "hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac", should have knocked off the hand.

Crunch · 06-12-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToughOmbre

Ansgar Korte, director of Germany's Walter Hohmann Observatory, said: "It's a real meteorite, therefore it is very valuable to collectors and scientists."

Chances of being struck by a meteorite are around one in 100 million.

Stuff them! The kid should be the one keeping it!

Vassili Zaitzev · 06-12-2009, 05:39 PM

Hmm, I find this hard to believe. At that speed, his hand should have been taken off.

Soren · 06-12-2009, 07:45 PM

It probably just glanced his hand, creating that long scar.

Gnomey · 06-12-2009, 08:01 PM

Yeah it won't have hit his hand full on, it would of just glanced it. Besides looking at the size of it I doubt it would of taken off his hand anyway...

And I agree he should keep it.

Boy Hit On Arm By White-Hot Meteorite From Outer Space Travelling At 30,000mph | World News | Sky News

Still, it is certainly a story for the grand kids to be told...

vikingBerserker · 06-12-2009, 08:19 PM

Traveling 30,000 mph? It would have taken the hand off. A .22 calaber travels at what 2,200 mph?

ToughOmbre · 06-12-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikingBerserker

Traveling 30,000 mph?

That's gotta be before it hit the earth's atmosphere. Had to be way slower by the time it got to this kid's hand, arm, whatever.

If it's true.

TO

GrauGeist · 06-12-2009, 10:03 PM

I'd be willing to bet that it never physically touched his hand, but his injury was created by the trans-sonic envelope around the meteorite as it passed by him. I would have thought debris splashing back after impact, which may still be the case, but he said it hurt before it hit the ground.

vikingBerserker · 06-12-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToughOmbre

The white-hot meteorite bounced off the schoolboy's hand and hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac - as well as a three-inch scar on his hand.

I'm just having a real hard time believing this.

Doughboy · 06-12-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikingBerserker

Traveling 30,000 mph? It would have taken the hand off. A .22 calaber travels at what 2,200 mph?

The fastest .22 round goes about 4,000 fps....and that would be one of the hot centerfires...A rimfire(.22) goes about 1,200 fps.

When I say fps, I am saying feet-per-second.

Amsel · 06-13-2009, 01:40 AM

I don't know if he is really lucky or really almost unlucky. Hard to say.

Wayne Little · 06-13-2009, 09:02 AM

mmm.....interesting to say the least!

RabidAlien · 06-13-2009, 10:32 AM

Yeah, I had to throw the BS flag out on that one, too.....30,000 mph, he wouldn't have time to register the pain before it was already on the ground, much less realize that he was hit by a meteor and note that it had just plowed a foot-deep hole in the ground. And that much kinetic energy would've ripped his hand off (if not the arm, too).

B-17engineer · 06-13-2009, 10:54 AM

30,000 mph....

06-12-2009, 04:34 PM	#1
ToughOmbre Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,233	Boy Hit By Meteorite Travelling At 30,000 MPH From SKYNEWS 10:22am UK, Friday June 12, 2009 A teenager was hit by a meteorite travelling at 30,000mph - and lived to tell the tale. The meteorite struck Gerrit on the hand, and buried itself in the road Gerrit Blank was on his way to school when he saw a massive fireball heading straight towards him from the sky. The white-hot meteorite bounced off the schoolboy's hand and hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac - as well as a three-inch scar on his hand. Gerrit, 14, said: "At first I just saw a large ball of light and then I suddenly felt a pain in my hand. "Then, a split second after that, there was an enormous bang like a crash of thunder." "The noise that came after the flash of light was so loud that my ears were ringing for hours afterwards. "When it hit me it knocked me flying and then was still going fast enough to bury itself in the road." Scientists are now studying the pea-sized meteorite, which crashed to Earth in Essen in Germany. Chemical tests on the rock have now proved it is from outer space. Ansgar Korte, director of Germany's Walter Hohmann Observatory, said: "It's a real meteorite, therefore it is very valuable to collectors and scientists." Chances of being struck by a meteorite are around one in 100 million. Mr Korte said: "Most meteorites don't actually make it to ground level because they evaporate in the atmosphere. "Of those that do get through, about six out of every seven of them land in water." There is only one other known case of a human being surviving a direct hit from a meteor. A grapefruit-sized meteor crashed through the roof of a house in Alabama, in the USA, in 1954. After smashing through the top of the building, it bounced off furniture and then hit a woman who was asleep at the time. TO __________________ *“Let's get Enterprise* and Hornet turned into the wind."**

06-12-2009, 04:42 PM	#2
Marcel Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dordrecht Posts: 3,834	Don't believe it, "hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac", should have knocked off the hand. __________________ " The knack of flying lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

06-12-2009, 05:39 PM	#4
Vassili Zaitzev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Stafford Springs, Connecticut Posts: 2,221	Hmm, I find this hard to believe. At that speed, his hand should have been taken off. __________________ "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"- Winston Churchill.

06-12-2009, 07:45 PM	#5
Soren Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,116	It probably just glanced his hand, creating that long scar. __________________ It was like being pushed by an Angel! - Adolf Galland I'm an educated engineer, so I love being technical and appraising of great inventions. So if you think I am being biased about something: Tell me! Then you'll probably find out that I am not

06-12-2009, 08:01 PM	#6
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Yeah it won't have hit his hand full on, it would of just glanced it. Besides looking at the size of it I doubt it would of taken off his hand anyway... And I agree he should keep it. Boy Hit On Arm By White-Hot Meteorite From Outer Space Travelling At 30,000mph \| World News \| Sky News Still, it is certainly a story for the grand kids to be told... __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

06-12-2009, 08:19 PM	#7
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,768	Traveling 30,000 mph? It would have taken the hand off. A .22 calaber travels at what 2,200 mph? __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

06-12-2009, 10:03 PM	#9
GrauGeist Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Redding, California Posts: 3,357	I'd be willing to bet that it never physically touched his hand, but his injury was created by the trans-sonic envelope around the meteorite as it passed by him. I would have thought debris splashing back after impact, which may still be the case, but he said it hurt before it hit the ground. __________________ "Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future." - Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome > I Support Doug Gillis <

06-13-2009, 01:40 AM	#12
Amsel Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,738	I don't know if he is really lucky or really almost unlucky. Hard to say. __________________ 'Live Free or Die'

06-13-2009, 09:02 AM	#13
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,525	mmm.....interesting to say the least! __________________

06-13-2009, 10:32 AM	#14
RabidAlien Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hurst, Texas Posts: 2,827	Yeah, I had to throw the BS flag out on that one, too.....30,000 mph, he wouldn't have time to register the pain before it was already on the ground, much less realize that he was hit by a meteor and note that it had just plowed a foot-deep hole in the ground. And that much kinetic energy would've ripped his hand off (if not the arm, too). __________________ Pillage, then burn. Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well on toast.

06-13-2009, 10:54 AM	#15
B-17engineer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,689	30,000 mph.... __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe36UMRkRbk

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode