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I struggle to find an answer to the at-first-sight simple question if or how the size distribution and frequency distribution of incoming rocks hitting the ground or the atmosphere vary from Earth, to the Moon, to other planets (e.g. Venus, Mars, Jupiter). Let's limit ourselves to observable events:

  1. For Earth, I would like to consider all observable objects hitting the Earth atmosphere, see Baggaley: The size distribution of large meteor bodies (1978)
  2. For our moon, we would only consider objects which leave a craters e.g. observable by Earth-based telescopes, see Werner et. al.: The Near-Earth Asteroid Size–Frequency Distribution: A Snapshot of the Lunar Impactor Size–Frequency Distribution (2001).
  3. For gas planets, I would assume that there are more observations like Something Just Smacked Jupiter

I am after some statements for meteors for our Moon, and other planets similiar to the comprehensive answer on How often do meteorites hit the Earth?

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  • $\begingroup$ For the Moon, I assume that there somebody took regular snapshots of Earth-facing side and counted craters? Can somebody please point me to the corresponding publication or pre-print? $\endgroup$
    – B--rian
    Commented Dec 24, 2020 at 23:49
  • $\begingroup$ Why are you assuming (are you assuming?) that the large bodies in the inner solar system are each hit by a different population, and large bodies in the outer solar system are each hit by a different population? Or are you assuming - as most planetary scientists do - that the inner solar system as a whole is hit by one population and the outer solar system as a whole is hit by another (though the outer is a bit more complicated than that)? $\endgroup$
    – Stuart Robbins
    Commented Dec 25, 2020 at 5:15
  • $\begingroup$ @StuartRobbins I am not sure whether I understand your question(s) correctly. I am interested in all objecs approaching planets or the moon, and I am trying not to distinguishing by origin of the incoming rocks. Are you saying that using the term "asteroids" is then incorrect? $\endgroup$
    – B--rian
    Commented Dec 25, 2020 at 17:18
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    $\begingroup$ The issue is I'm not understanding your question, or the premise of your question. It seems like you are asking what the difference is in the size-frequency distribution of objects impacting different planets, such as Mercury vs Venus vs Earth vs Mars vs Jupiter vs Saturn, etc. Is that correct? I'm trying to understand if that's what you're asking because, if it is, then you need to go back one step further and ask IF what's hitting these objects is different, before you can ask how they are different. 'Cause the inner solar system is generally the same, but different from the outer. $\endgroup$
    – Stuart Robbins
    Commented Dec 25, 2020 at 19:34
  • $\begingroup$ @StuartRobbins I edited the question, did it help? $\endgroup$
    – B--rian
    Commented Dec 26, 2020 at 14:37

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