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Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » There is so much debris in space why doesn't more heavenly "stuff" strike earth?

There is so much debris in space why doesn't more heavenly "stuff" strike earth?

Posted - November 22, 2019

Responses


  • 44173
    Eventually it does, but most things up there are quite small and would burn unnoticed in the atmosphere. Much of it will continue to remain in orbit until an outside force affects it...usually tiny amounts of air friction. About 30 years ago, I observed a Soviet satellite enter the atmosphere, break into pieces and burn. It landed near Wright-Patterson Air base in Ohio.
      November 22, 2019 11:56 AM MST
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  • 113301
    Where were you E? Looking through a telescope because you'd had advance notice it was going to happen or did you see it "with the naked eye"? That must have been something to see. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday to thee. Is there a worry that one day an enormous big huge something will crash into the earth with cataclysmic results?
      November 23, 2019 3:22 AM MST
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  • 44173
    I saw it while driving west on the Ohio turnpike going to Toledo. I saw it coming over the northern horizon and pulled over to watch it. It split into several pieces and the first thing I thought of was a nuclear attack. Missile warheads split into several parcels call MIRVs, multiple independently-targeted re-entry vehicle, each loaded with a nuclear warhead. I watched it until it disappeared below the southern horizon and didn't see any bright lights, so I continued driving home. It was in the newspaper the next day.
      November 23, 2019 4:14 AM MST
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  • 113301
    Initially it musta been scary as he** if you thought it was a nuclear attack. Were you shaken and then relieved when you read about it the next day? Say it was what you initially thought would you have been toast or is that an unknown since you couldn't see where it landed? I hope to heck we never ever have to witness its actuality in reality but who knows? Thank you for your reply! :)
      November 23, 2019 4:42 AM MST
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  • 44173
    It landed two hundred miles south of me and I didn't see any large flashes of light, so I assumed it was just a large meteor.
      November 23, 2019 4:50 AM MST
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  • 10449
    It's in a geocentric orbit.  What little that falls out of that orbit will burn up on reentry into the earth's atmosphere (some may float off into space until it gets caught in the orbit of another object).   When pieces of this junk collide together or with something such as a meteor, they break up into smaller pieces.  The smaller the debris becomes the longer it can stay in orbit (less mass for gravity to act on).  Of course, these collisions can also send the stuff out of orbit where, again, it burns up on reentry (such as a meteor) or, if large enough, crashes into the ground (such as a meteorite); or is sent out into space.

      November 22, 2019 1:05 PM MST
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  • 44173
    It is highly unlikely anything will be ejected out of earth's orbit except for a collision. It is also unlikely that any collisions will occur, given the different distances and velocities of the objects.
      November 22, 2019 2:29 PM MST
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  • 10449
    According to NASA collisions do occur (between junk pieces). Technically, anything hit with enough force could break free of orbit.  Theoraticaly, a large enough object striking another could force things out of orbit into space. It's extremely unlikely due to mass and the gravitational pull of the earth. 
      November 22, 2019 4:34 PM MST
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  • 44173
    Correct. Some of the 'meteors' we see are actually astronaut turds.
      November 22, 2019 5:36 PM MST
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  • 10449
    Kind of gives new meaning to the term "flyingf s***".
      November 22, 2019 10:28 PM MST
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  • 113301
    So whatever is in space can burn up then Shuhak? Nothing can withstand the high temperatures? That's very comforting but wasn't it a meteorite or something that was huge that crashed into earth and ended the lives of dinosaurs or is that just an old wives tale? Also when humans go into space why don't they burn up? Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday to ya! :)
      November 23, 2019 3:24 AM MST
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  • 10449
    Objects over 25 M (82 feet) probably won't burn up in the atmosphere and will strike the ground.  Remember Skylab (1979)?    Humans doing spacewalks must be aware of all the junk floating around out there as a collision with one of them could be fatal.  Thats why NASA keeps close tabs on all apace junk.
    Want to see some of the stuff that's out there?  Go to "stuffin.space"

    Humans are protected from burning up by their spaceship.  These ships are designed to withstand the high temperatures (about 3000 F) of reentry.  Without these ships humans would burn up.  (that's why the Apollo capsules came in backwards, and why the tiles on the space shuttles were so important).
      November 23, 2019 9:49 AM MST
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your thoughtful and informative reply to my question Shuhak. As usual, I appreciate it muchly! :) This post was edited by RosieG at November 23, 2019 11:48 AM MST
      November 23, 2019 10:47 AM MST
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