Extra-Terrestrial Meteors
Résumé
All planets and satellites of our solar system are subject to acontinuous rain of material, ranging in size from specks of dust toobjects the size of boulders. Upon impact, these objects deposit theirkinetic energy into the incident surface or atmosphere and affect theenvironment of the target body in ways not yet well understood. Recenthigh-profile events - impact flashes on Jupiter and the encounter ofcomet C/Siding Spring with Mars - brought the study of``extraterrestrial meteors'' and their effects into the fore. Here wereview the history, status and future prospects of meteor studies onplanets other than the Earth. Would bright meteors appear in theatmosphere of Mars and what are the long-term effects on the planet'satmosphere? How do high-speed impacts of particulate matter on theairless surfaces of Mercury and the Moon affect their environment andthose of the countless other bodies like them? These are some of thequestions we attempt to answer in this Chapter.