StametsOct 8, 2025

Anything but metric

https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/55077946

Show threadTreczoks

How would a “corgi-sized” meteor have a mass comparable to “four baby elephants”?

OK. Assuming the corgi is 60cm long, and assuming with “size” they think of “a sphere with a diameter of”, we get a volume of 113000cm³. Depending on the weight of a baby elephant (90-120kg) we get 360 to 480 kilograms. Divided by the volume, we get a medium density between 3.1 and 4.2 g/cm³. According to Engineering Toolbox, this is about as dense as garnet or aluminium oxide, common types of stone.

If they took the height of the corgi (30cm) as a base of their spheres’ diameter, the volume is down to ~14000cm³, leading to densities between 25.7 and 34.2 g/cm³. Now that would be interesting, because that would even surpass uranium (which has 19.something g/cm³).

So depending on how to interpret those measures, it’ll be a ball of dirt, or a serious nuclear threat. That’s why scientists use metric…

Oct 8 at 12:51pmWeb
Show threadDamageOct 8
Uhm I mean God knows what they meant, but in this context I visualize this headline as a meteor with the VOLUME of a Corgi, definitely not a sphere with the diameter of the longest dimension of a Corgi, that doesn’t make much sense to me.
Show threadTreczoksOct 8
A corgi has a mass of 10-14kg, so assuming a density of an average mammal of ~1g/cm³ would actually give it a volume of 14000cm³. See paragraph three for results. Not good.
Show threadCorkyskogOct 8
How not good?
Show threadTreczoksOct 8
That would imply that the meteor was denser than uranium.
Show threadCorkyskogOct 8
Let’s say its made of platinum and iridium… What would happen?
Show threadTreczoksOct 8
Apart from being too light, it will probably be dense enough so that parts of it will land on the ground. The mass and the (probable) speed will make a decent crater, but for that one would need more data, and a simulation tool.
Show threadCorkyskogOct 9
Wait is there a crater impact simulator tool?
Show threaddryfterOct 9
I figured you’d just use KSP. 😂
Show threadTreczoksOct 9
There are, but you need a lot of parameters to get it right. Mass and size are just two. You need speed and, most importantly, the direction it travells.
Show threadluciferofastoraOct 9

According to experts from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the meteor in question was just over 60 centimeters in diameter and weighed half a ton (or around 454 kilograms).

www.jpost.com/science/article-732223

So, yeah, they meant the diameter. Doesn’t make much sense to me either, but then again, I’m not the one making a living writing science-y articles for a definitely non-science audience.

Corgi-sized meteor as heavy as 4 baby elephants hit Texas - NASA | The Jerusalem Post

The meteor in question struck the Earth near McAllen, Texas with the energy equivalent of 8 tons of TNT, but there were no reported casualties or damages.

The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com
Show threadglimseOct 8

According to experts from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the meteor in question was just over 60 centimeters in diameter and weighed half a ton (or around 454 kilograms).

Show threadWanderingThoughtsOct 8

The article is even very specific about this. It’s a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

For the real numbers:

According to experts from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the meteor in question was just over 60 centimeters in diameter and weighed half a ton (or around 454 kilograms).

Corgi-sized meteor as heavy as 4 baby elephants hit Texas - NASA | The Jerusalem Post

The meteor in question struck the Earth near McAllen, Texas with the energy equivalent of 8 tons of TNT, but there were no reported casualties or damages.

The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com
Show threadTreczoksOct 8
Looks like my estimate is within the parameters.