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Burning up in the atmosphere may also contribute to atmospheric pollution. [2] Numerous small cylindrical tanks from space objects have been found, designed to hold fuel or gasses. [3] Notable examples of space debris falling to Earth and impacting human life include:
Debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off in the United States on February 1 entered the Earth's atmosphere over Poland on Wednesday, the Polish space agency said. A 1.5 meter by one ...
A meteorite is a portion of a meteoroid or asteroid that survives its passage through the atmosphere and hits the ground without being destroyed. [22] Meteorites are sometimes, but not always, found in association with hypervelocity impact craters; during energetic collisions, the entire impactor may be vaporized, leaving no meteorites.
Atmospheric entry (sometimes listed as V impact or V entry) is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite. Atmospheric entry may be uncontrolled entry, as in the entry of astronomical objects, space debris, or bolides.
Objects which enter and then leave Earth's atmosphere, the so-called Earth-grazers, are a distinct phenomenon, inasmuch as entering the lower atmosphere can constitute an impact event rather than a close pass. Earth-grazer can also be short for a body that "grazes" the orbit of the Earth, in a different context.
The Allende meteorite is the largest carbonaceous chondrite ever found on Earth. The fireball was witnessed at 01:05 on February 8, 1969, falling over the Mexican state of Chihuahua. [1] After it broke up in the atmosphere, an extensive search for pieces was conducted and over 2 tonnes (2.2 tons) were recovered.
On 7 October 2008, an approximately 4 meter asteroid labeled 2008 TC 3 was tracked for 20 hours as it approached Earth and as it fell through the atmosphere and impacted in Sudan. This was the first time an object was detected before it reached the atmosphere and hundreds of pieces of the meteorite were recovered from the Nubian Desert. [98]
When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical interactions with the atmospheric gases cause it to heat up and radiate energy. It then becomes a meteor and forms a fireball , also known as a shooting star; astronomers call the brightest examples " bolides ".