From: joe@strout.net   
      
   In article ,   
    "Gary Helfert"  wrote:   
      
   > Is gravity so strong that a meteor swinging by the earth, moon or planet at   
   > 25,000 miles per hour on a tangent trajectory is pulled in for a direct   
   > impact? Viewing pictures of planets I don't think I ever saw an oblong   
   > meteor crater that would come from a glancing blow.   
      
   There are no glancing blows.  A meteor has a huge amount of kinetic   
   energy; when it hits something solid like a planet, this kinetic energy   
   is converted to heat.  Converted *very quickly* to heat.  In other   
   words, there is an explosion.  It's the explosion that leaves a crater,   
   just as if you'd detonated a nuclear bomb.   
      
   So you won't find any oblong craters because explosions are always   
   round.  You will, however, sometimes find chains of craters, where the   
   incoming meteor broke up a bit and caused several detonations along the   
   meteor's path.   
      
   Best,   
   - Joe   
      
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