*I* would be worried... the typical 9mm handgun has a muzzle velocity of about 1200 feet per second, and the bullet leaves the barrel with a kinetic energy of around 380 ft-lbs of force (about 520 joules). Consider the havoc that bullet can wreak.
Now think about a 10 mm meteorite particle moving 22 MILES per second, and what kind of force THAT would have...........
George, KA3HSW
----- Original Message ----- From: "Clint Bradford" [email protected] To: "Jeff Moore" [email protected] Cc: "AMSAT BB" [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 1:41 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: No, Clint's Not Drinking ...
... Will the astronauts on the ISS get hit by the Geminid Meteor Shower???
I asked NASA that last night. They were not particularly worried that these 1-to-10mm-sized particles would wreak havoc with the ISS - even though they are travelling at about 80,000 MPH.
Clint _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb