Chapter 2
Aspects of Meteoroids Flight
in the Earth’s Atmosphere
Nina G. Syzranova and Viktor A. Andrushchenko
Abstract We study the motion of meteoroids in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is shown
that space bodies do not always fall on the Earth or explode and shatter into small
fragments in the atmosphere. Instead, for certain aerodynamic characteristics and
small angles of entry into the atmosphere, they may re-enter the outer space after
traveling several thousand kilometres through the atmosphere.
2.1 Introduction
When space bodies pass into the Earth’s atmosphere and move in it, various scenarios
are possible. Large bodies (size greater than 100 m) usually reach the Earth’s surface
without losing much of their speed, forming impact craters, and can lead to catastrophic consequences. Small bodies (size less than 1 cm) burn completely at very
high altitudes. Bodies of intermediate sizes are destroyed and burned at heights of
~20–40 km, causing bright flashes or exploding, breaking into fragments, forming
shock waves and clouds of combustion products. Of particular interest are cases when
meteor bodies or their fragments after the initial stage of falling in the atmosphere
then go on an upward trajectory, and, only partially destroyed, return back to outer
space. That is why, even when seismic effects appear as if from a fall, but in fact from
the impact of an air explosion of meteoroid fragments, search expeditions often do
not detect any impact craters or fallen meteorite matter.
Thus, on August 10, 1972, a flight through the atmosphere of a bright bolide
detected by satellites of the US Air Force was registered [1]. Experts noted an unusually long flight path of the bolide in the atmosphere (about 1500 km). Witnesses even
heard the thunderous sounds that indicated a low path of movement of the object.
N. G. Syzranova (B) · V. A. Andrushchenko
Institute for Computer Aided Design of the RAS, 19/18, Vtoraya Brestskaya ul., Moscow 123056,
Russian Federation
e-mail: nina-syzranova@ya.ru
V. A. Andrushchenko
e-mail: andrusviktor@ya.ru
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. C. Jain et al. (eds.), Applied Mathematics and Computational Mechanics for Smart
Applications, Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 217,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4826-4_2
13
Aspects of Meteoroids Flight
in the Earth’s Atmosphere
Nina G. Syzranova and Viktor A. Andrushchenko
Abstract We study the motion of meteoroids in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is shown
that space bodies do not always fall on the Earth or explode and shatter into small
fragments in the atmosphere. Instead, for certain aerodynamic characteristics and
small angles of entry into the atmosphere, they may re-enter the outer space after
traveling several thousand kilometres through the atmosphere.
2.1 Introduction
When space bodies pass into the Earth’s atmosphere and move in it, various scenarios
are possible. Large bodies (size greater than 100 m) usually reach the Earth’s surface
without losing much of their speed, forming impact craters, and can lead to catastrophic consequences. Small bodies (size less than 1 cm) burn completely at very
high altitudes. Bodies of intermediate sizes are destroyed and burned at heights of
~20–40 km, causing bright flashes or exploding, breaking into fragments, forming
shock waves and clouds of combustion products. Of particular interest are cases when
meteor bodies or their fragments after the initial stage of falling in the atmosphere
then go on an upward trajectory, and, only partially destroyed, return back to outer
space. That is why, even when seismic effects appear as if from a fall, but in fact from
the impact of an air explosion of meteoroid fragments, search expeditions often do
not detect any impact craters or fallen meteorite matter.
Thus, on August 10, 1972, a flight through the atmosphere of a bright bolide
detected by satellites of the US Air Force was registered [1]. Experts noted an unusually long flight path of the bolide in the atmosphere (about 1500 km). Witnesses even
heard the thunderous sounds that indicated a low path of movement of the object.
N. G. Syzranova (B) · V. A. Andrushchenko
Institute for Computer Aided Design of the RAS, 19/18, Vtoraya Brestskaya ul., Moscow 123056,
Russian Federation
e-mail: nina-syzranova@ya.ru
V. A. Andrushchenko
e-mail: andrusviktor@ya.ru
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. C. Jain et al. (eds.), Applied Mathematics and Computational Mechanics for Smart
Applications, Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 217,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4826-4_2
13