Meteorite returns to Arizona
UPI Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:03 PM PDT
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., March 24 (UPI) -- A meteorite that was stolen from an Arizona museum decades ago has been returned to the Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff, Ariz., officials said.
Students receive NASA training
The Southside Reporter Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:48 PM PDT
Teachers and staff members at Neil Armstrong Elementary School took part in a live video conference with NASA officials at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to become authorized borrowers of lunar and meteorite samples.
A man purchased the basket-shaped rock at a yard sale three years ago for $10.
ABC 15 Phoenix Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:31 PM PDT
It was stolen in 1968, now it is back where it belongs. A Wisconsin resident has returned the "Basket" meteorite to Arizona. The rock began as part of the Canyon Diablo Meteor, which flew 40,000 miles-an-hour.
WI Man Returns Meteorite to Arizona
WEAU Eau Claire Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:56 PM PDT
A meteorite that crashed into Arizona 50,000 years ago has been missing for 40 years, until now.
Wisconsin man returns meteorite to Arizona
WSAW Wausau Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:07 AM PDT
A meteorite that crashed into Arizona 50,000 years ago has been missing for 40 years -- until now. A retired General Motors worker from Wisconsin is the reason the 49-pound meteorite has been returned to Meteor Crater in Flagstaff.
Meteorite returns home to Ariz.
FOX 11 Tucson Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:00 AM PDT
PHOENIX (AP) -- A meteorite that crashed into Arizona 50,000 years ago, but has been missing for 40 years, is back home. The "Basket" meteorite was stolen from Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff in August 1968.
Long-lost meteorite comes home to Ariz.
The Arizona Republic Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:05 AM PDT
In August 1968, an odd-shaped meteorite was stolen from Arizona's Meteor Crater. On Monday, the meteorite found its way home.
Man Returns Meteorite He Got For $10 At Yard Sale
WCCO Minneapolis - St. Paul Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:40 AM PDT
A meteorite that crashed into Arizona 50,000 years ago, but has been missing for 40 years, is back home.
Gift to Chicago's Field Museum establishes world's largest non-government meteorite collection
EurekAlert! Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:17 AM PDT( Field Museum )
The Field Museum in Chicago has become home to the world's largest collection of meteorites held outside a government agency, the result of a gift of funding and meteorites worth more than $10 million.
Meteorite lands back home
Arizona Daily Sun Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:38 AM PDTFor the last few years Tom Lynch has been using a 50-pound rock as a counter weight for his grandson's basketball hoop.
25 March 2009
NASA-- Sudan Meteorite Recovery Teleconference to be held 25MAR09
MEDIA ADVISORY : M09-044
NASA Sets Teleconference To Discuss Recovered Meteorites
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a media teleconference on Wednesday, March 25, at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 UT) to reveal science findings from recently discovered meteorites.
The meteorites originate from a small asteroid that entered Earth's atmosphere over the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan on Oct. 7, 2008. The discovery presents scientists with an unprecedented opportunity to understand these nomads of the solar system better.
The briefing participants are:
- Peter Jenniskens, meteor astronomer at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif.
- Steve Chesley, scientist in NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
- Michael Zolensky, cosmic mineralogist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Lucy McFadden, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland in College Park
Reporters who would like to participate in the call should submit requests for dial-in instructions to Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov.
A replay of the teleconference will be available until May 1 by dialing 888-403-4660.
Supporting visuals will be available online at the start of the event at: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/tc3
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on NASA's Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
NASA Sets Teleconference To Discuss Recovered Meteorites
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a media teleconference on Wednesday, March 25, at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 UT) to reveal science findings from recently discovered meteorites.
The meteorites originate from a small asteroid that entered Earth's atmosphere over the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan on Oct. 7, 2008. The discovery presents scientists with an unprecedented opportunity to understand these nomads of the solar system better.
The briefing participants are:
- Peter Jenniskens, meteor astronomer at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif.
- Steve Chesley, scientist in NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
- Michael Zolensky, cosmic mineralogist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Lucy McFadden, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland in College Park
Reporters who would like to participate in the call should submit requests for dial-in instructions to Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov.
A replay of the teleconference will be available until May 1 by dialing 888-403-4660.
Supporting visuals will be available online at the start of the event at: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/tc3
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on NASA's Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
24 March 2009
Impact Geology Drilling Project in Siberia update 23MAR09
Seeking Earth`s Past by Drilling in Remote Arctic
Kansas City InfoZine Mon, 23
Mar 2009 03:01 AM PDT
In mid-March, drilling by paleoclimatologists to retrieve sediment and meteorite-impact rocks from remotest Siberia reached about 213 feet (65 m), about 1 million years into the past. They hope to retrieve the longest continuous climate data ever collected for the Arctic, over 3.6 million years.
Kansas City InfoZine Mon, 23
Mar 2009 03:01 AM PDT
In mid-March, drilling by paleoclimatologists to retrieve sediment and meteorite-impact rocks from remotest Siberia reached about 213 feet (65 m), about 1 million years into the past. They hope to retrieve the longest continuous climate data ever collected for the Arctic, over 3.6 million years.
22 March 2009
Meteorite News 20MAR-21MAR09
Big Bucks For Person With Meteorite Remains
WJBF-TV Augusta Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:45 PM PDT
Up to $10,000 for the first kilo of meteorite.
'Dino Man' thrills Eliot Elementary students
Portsmouth Herald Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:08 AM PDT
ELIOT, Maine and#8212;
Eighteen energetic first-graders in Andrea Rohde's class sat wide-eyed on the Eliot Elementary School gym floor listening to "Dinoman" and touching 65-million-year-old dinosaur-age relics: horns, claws, teeth, a meteorite, ancient...
Group to hunt meteor pieces
The Augusta Chronicle Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:39 AM PDT
AIKEN --- A group of Western meteorite hunters is headed to Augusta, chasing the possibility a meteor hit somewhere in the region early Friday, bringing reports of a loud boom and a fireball in the sky.
Meteorite from Aquilla area sells for $10,000
Austin American-Statesman Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:11 PM PDT
Mike Farmer spent about a month searching for pieces of the meteor that blazed a trail through the Central Texas skies and broke apart over southern Hill County and northern McLennan County last month.
WJBF-TV Augusta Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:45 PM PDT
Up to $10,000 for the first kilo of meteorite.
'Dino Man' thrills Eliot Elementary students
Portsmouth Herald Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:08 AM PDT
ELIOT, Maine and#8212;
Eighteen energetic first-graders in Andrea Rohde's class sat wide-eyed on the Eliot Elementary School gym floor listening to "Dinoman" and touching 65-million-year-old dinosaur-age relics: horns, claws, teeth, a meteorite, ancient...
Group to hunt meteor pieces
The Augusta Chronicle Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:39 AM PDT
AIKEN --- A group of Western meteorite hunters is headed to Augusta, chasing the possibility a meteor hit somewhere in the region early Friday, bringing reports of a loud boom and a fireball in the sky.
Meteorite from Aquilla area sells for $10,000
Austin American-Statesman Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:11 PM PDT
Mike Farmer spent about a month searching for pieces of the meteor that blazed a trail through the Central Texas skies and broke apart over southern Hill County and northern McLennan County last month.
20 March 2009
Clues To A Secret Of Life Discovered By NASA Scientists 19MAR09
Clues To A Secret Of Life Discovered By NASA Scientists
Medical News Today
Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:23 AM PDT
NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level. "We found more support for the idea that biological molecules, like amino acids, created in space and brought to Earth by meteorite impacts help explain why life is left-handed," said Dr.
Medical News Today
Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:23 AM PDT
NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level. "We found more support for the idea that biological molecules, like amino acids, created in space and brought to Earth by meteorite impacts help explain why life is left-handed," said Dr.
19 March 2009
large rock mysteriously falls from the sky in Zimbabwes’ Nkayi village 19MAR09
A large rock mysteriously falls from the sky in Zimbabwes’ Nkayi village
http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=894:a-large-rock-mysteriously-falls-from-the-sky-in-zimbabwes-nkayi-village&catid=38:travel-tips&Itemid=274
Thursday, 19 March 2009 15:02
administrator News By Owen Gagare
A LARGE rock, weighing about 100 kilogrammes fell from the “sky,” in Nkayi at the beginning of the month, shocking villagers while at the same time sending the whole district wild with excitement and speculation. The District Administrator for Nkayi, Ms Nosizi Dube, and the Police Officer Commanding Crime in the district, Superintendent Chanetsa Maswi, confirmed the incident.The stone, many villagers now believe. is a gift from God, fell with a thunderous noise in Madlilika Village in the Mjena area of Lukampa under Chief Sikhobokhobo at about 5pm on 1 March.It fell five metres from two villagers, Mr Judia Sibanda and Mr Mncedisi Ngwenya, who were herding cattle in the bush.In interviews on Tuesday, villagers from the area said they heard a thunderous sound coming from the “sky,” and another sound resembling a bomb exploding. “The noise later fizzled into a sound similar to one made by an aircaft on take-off before dying away,” said Mrs Nomsa Ngwenya, a villager. On seeing the rock fall, Mr Sibanda and Mr Ngwenya rushed to their home where they told their father, Mr Spempokuhle Ngwenya, of the incident. Mr Ngwenya told other villagers and together they went to inspect the rock, after which it was agreed that he keeps it since his children had found it.People from the area believe the rock could have been a special gift from God containing very precious minerals while others believe that it could have been sent by their ancestors in a bid to communicate something to them.
They have since vowed to jealously guard it until they get a satisfactory explanation on what it symbolises or what mineral it contains. They have been so determined to keep the rock that they even turned down Chief Sikhobokhobo’s request to have the rock.To date they have only allowed about 15 kilogrammes of the rock to be taken by the Government, through the District Administrator’s Office and security agents, so that it may go for testing. The villagers, however, reluctantly released the rock.
According to Mr Sethukile Ndlovu, a teacher at Mjena Primary School, who also comes from the area, the villagers believe that the unique stone could turn out to be something of great significance.“There is a lot of speculation at the moment but one thing for sure is that no one seems to think it is a bad omen, although people were initially shocked by the incident. A number of people touched the stone and nothing has happened to them but the strongest belief seems to be that it is a precious stone,” he said.“There is belief that it could be containing a very rich mineral while others believe that either God or their ancestors were trying to communicate with them. So, whichever way you look at it, this rock is important to the people of this area and they are keen to find out what it really is. “There is belief that the rock could be a good omen for the area and if there are any benefits from it, the people do not want to lose out.”
Mr Ndlovu said the unique sound, which accompanied the rock made some people believe that there was something supernatural about it.He says the rock was heard in the entire Lukampa area as well as Matshena, Mbuma and Nkalathi areas.
According to Mr Memukeli Khumalo, also from Mjena, Chief Sikhobokhobo sent two of his advisors to have a look at the stone. The chief also requested that the stone be sent to him but the villagers refused. “At that meeting people said they had never seen anything like that. The people refused to let go of the rock because they felt that if it was of significance, then its significance would be here. At that meeting, there was talk of raising spirit mediums so that they could find out what the stone meant but we failed to raise them during the meeting,” he said.When Chief Sikhobokhobo confirmed the incident he alerted the DA who in turn alerted security agents. The Assistant DA, Mr Knowledge Chikanga, then travelled to the area with the police last week.“We wanted to see what it was for ourselves and from a security point of view, establish whether it was of harm or not. The elders from the area held onto the rock but in the end they gave us one piece. We hope to conduct tests on the rock,” said Ms Dube, the DA.The rock weighing 15kg is being kept at Nkayi Police Station.Supt Maswi said the rock would be tested by officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to establish its chemical composition.The rock is black and very smooth outside. It is grey inside.
Contacted for comment, officials from the Geological Survey Department said they could not explain the phenomenon since they did not have a geologist in the Matabeleland region although another official said the stone could have come from space. A solid state physicist contacted last night said the object could be a meteorite that dropped into the earth from outer space.“I would say maybe a small meteorite. If it is a stone then it could be a meteorite that dropped from outer space,” said the physicist after the object was described to him.A meteorite is a portion of a meteoroid, which is a solid object in interplanetary space, that survives its passage through the atmosphere and impact with the ground without being destroyed.
According to the online encyclopaedia, www.wikipedia.com, numerous people have over the years reported sounds being heard while bright meteors flared overhead. While some scientists have dismissed the idea of sounds accompanying meteors, given the relatively slow speed of sound, sound recordings made under controlled conditions in Mongolia in 1998 by a team led by Slaven Garaj, a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, support the contention that the sounds are real.
http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=894:a-large-rock-mysteriously-falls-from-the-sky-in-zimbabwes-nkayi-village&catid=38:travel-tips&Itemid=274
Thursday, 19 March 2009 15:02
administrator News By Owen Gagare
A LARGE rock, weighing about 100 kilogrammes fell from the “sky,” in Nkayi at the beginning of the month, shocking villagers while at the same time sending the whole district wild with excitement and speculation. The District Administrator for Nkayi, Ms Nosizi Dube, and the Police Officer Commanding Crime in the district, Superintendent Chanetsa Maswi, confirmed the incident.The stone, many villagers now believe. is a gift from God, fell with a thunderous noise in Madlilika Village in the Mjena area of Lukampa under Chief Sikhobokhobo at about 5pm on 1 March.It fell five metres from two villagers, Mr Judia Sibanda and Mr Mncedisi Ngwenya, who were herding cattle in the bush.In interviews on Tuesday, villagers from the area said they heard a thunderous sound coming from the “sky,” and another sound resembling a bomb exploding. “The noise later fizzled into a sound similar to one made by an aircaft on take-off before dying away,” said Mrs Nomsa Ngwenya, a villager. On seeing the rock fall, Mr Sibanda and Mr Ngwenya rushed to their home where they told their father, Mr Spempokuhle Ngwenya, of the incident. Mr Ngwenya told other villagers and together they went to inspect the rock, after which it was agreed that he keeps it since his children had found it.People from the area believe the rock could have been a special gift from God containing very precious minerals while others believe that it could have been sent by their ancestors in a bid to communicate something to them.
They have since vowed to jealously guard it until they get a satisfactory explanation on what it symbolises or what mineral it contains. They have been so determined to keep the rock that they even turned down Chief Sikhobokhobo’s request to have the rock.To date they have only allowed about 15 kilogrammes of the rock to be taken by the Government, through the District Administrator’s Office and security agents, so that it may go for testing. The villagers, however, reluctantly released the rock.
According to Mr Sethukile Ndlovu, a teacher at Mjena Primary School, who also comes from the area, the villagers believe that the unique stone could turn out to be something of great significance.“There is a lot of speculation at the moment but one thing for sure is that no one seems to think it is a bad omen, although people were initially shocked by the incident. A number of people touched the stone and nothing has happened to them but the strongest belief seems to be that it is a precious stone,” he said.“There is belief that it could be containing a very rich mineral while others believe that either God or their ancestors were trying to communicate with them. So, whichever way you look at it, this rock is important to the people of this area and they are keen to find out what it really is. “There is belief that the rock could be a good omen for the area and if there are any benefits from it, the people do not want to lose out.”
Mr Ndlovu said the unique sound, which accompanied the rock made some people believe that there was something supernatural about it.He says the rock was heard in the entire Lukampa area as well as Matshena, Mbuma and Nkalathi areas.
According to Mr Memukeli Khumalo, also from Mjena, Chief Sikhobokhobo sent two of his advisors to have a look at the stone. The chief also requested that the stone be sent to him but the villagers refused. “At that meeting people said they had never seen anything like that. The people refused to let go of the rock because they felt that if it was of significance, then its significance would be here. At that meeting, there was talk of raising spirit mediums so that they could find out what the stone meant but we failed to raise them during the meeting,” he said.When Chief Sikhobokhobo confirmed the incident he alerted the DA who in turn alerted security agents. The Assistant DA, Mr Knowledge Chikanga, then travelled to the area with the police last week.“We wanted to see what it was for ourselves and from a security point of view, establish whether it was of harm or not. The elders from the area held onto the rock but in the end they gave us one piece. We hope to conduct tests on the rock,” said Ms Dube, the DA.The rock weighing 15kg is being kept at Nkayi Police Station.Supt Maswi said the rock would be tested by officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to establish its chemical composition.The rock is black and very smooth outside. It is grey inside.
Contacted for comment, officials from the Geological Survey Department said they could not explain the phenomenon since they did not have a geologist in the Matabeleland region although another official said the stone could have come from space. A solid state physicist contacted last night said the object could be a meteorite that dropped into the earth from outer space.“I would say maybe a small meteorite. If it is a stone then it could be a meteorite that dropped from outer space,” said the physicist after the object was described to him.A meteorite is a portion of a meteoroid, which is a solid object in interplanetary space, that survives its passage through the atmosphere and impact with the ground without being destroyed.
According to the online encyclopaedia, www.wikipedia.com, numerous people have over the years reported sounds being heard while bright meteors flared overhead. While some scientists have dismissed the idea of sounds accompanying meteors, given the relatively slow speed of sound, sound recordings made under controlled conditions in Mongolia in 1998 by a team led by Slaven Garaj, a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, support the contention that the sounds are real.
18 March 2009
Meteorite News 18MAR09
Travel for rock of ages
Leader Community Newspapers Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:25 PM PDT
INTREPID traveller, avid collector, philanthropist, meteorite hunter.
Meteorite lands in Bella Vista - for a day
NWAnews.com Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:29 AM PDT
A 4.6-billion-year-old, 50-pound meteorite landed in Bella Vista on Monday. (Benton County Daily Record)
NASA scientists isolate clues to the secret of life
New Kerala Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:42 AM PDT
Washington, March 18 : NASA scientists analysing meteorite dust have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level.
Clues To A Secret Of Life Found In Meteorite Dust
Science Daily Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:28 PM PDT
NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level.
Leader Community Newspapers Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:25 PM PDT
INTREPID traveller, avid collector, philanthropist, meteorite hunter.
Meteorite lands in Bella Vista - for a day
NWAnews.com Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:29 AM PDT
A 4.6-billion-year-old, 50-pound meteorite landed in Bella Vista on Monday. (Benton County Daily Record)
NASA scientists isolate clues to the secret of life
New Kerala Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:42 AM PDT
Washington, March 18 : NASA scientists analysing meteorite dust have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level.
Clues To A Secret Of Life Found In Meteorite Dust
Science Daily Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:28 PM PDT
NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites have discovered new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its most basic, molecular level.
17 March 2009
Staten Island, NY Loud Boom 17MAR09
What Was That?
By MIKE GRAHAM wpix.com
March 17, 2009
STATEN ISLAND (WPIX) --
Staten Island residents had themselves saying "what was that loud boom" last night. Whatever the noise was, it was heard in at least six neighborhoods and rattled nerves and windows at about 7:55p.m. Monday.
Calls to 911 came flooding in and police and firefighters responded but could not solve the mystery of the explosion-like blast. Con Edison said there were no reports of transformer explosions or outages despite the fact that the noise could be heard for miles. Police believe it is possible that fireworks could be to blame. Strange doings indeed in the metropolitan area as last week Westchester and Rockland county residents reported seeing a bright yellow streak in the skies north of the city. Some theorize that may have been a meteorite fireball.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--bigboom0317mar17,0,1312093.story
Staten Island residents report loud boom
March 17, 2009 NEW YORK -
Staten Island residents are trying to figure out what caused a loud boom that was heard in at least six neighborhoods. The explosion-like blast rattled windows of homes at about 7:55 p.m. Monday. It could be heard for miles. Police and firefighters responded to numerous calls to 911, but the loud noise remained a mystery on Tuesday. Police say they found no explosion anywhere in the borough and Con Edison reported no outages or transformer explosions. Police speculated it was caused by fireworks. Last week, witnesses reported big booms of a different sort. A brilliant yellow streak was seen in the skies north of the city, in Westchester and Rockland counties. Some residents believed it was a meteorite fireball.
By MIKE GRAHAM wpix.com
March 17, 2009
STATEN ISLAND (WPIX) --
Staten Island residents had themselves saying "what was that loud boom" last night. Whatever the noise was, it was heard in at least six neighborhoods and rattled nerves and windows at about 7:55p.m. Monday.
Calls to 911 came flooding in and police and firefighters responded but could not solve the mystery of the explosion-like blast. Con Edison said there were no reports of transformer explosions or outages despite the fact that the noise could be heard for miles. Police believe it is possible that fireworks could be to blame. Strange doings indeed in the metropolitan area as last week Westchester and Rockland county residents reported seeing a bright yellow streak in the skies north of the city. Some theorize that may have been a meteorite fireball.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--bigboom0317mar17,0,1312093.story
Staten Island residents report loud boom
March 17, 2009 NEW YORK -
Staten Island residents are trying to figure out what caused a loud boom that was heard in at least six neighborhoods. The explosion-like blast rattled windows of homes at about 7:55 p.m. Monday. It could be heard for miles. Police and firefighters responded to numerous calls to 911, but the loud noise remained a mystery on Tuesday. Police say they found no explosion anywhere in the borough and Con Edison reported no outages or transformer explosions. Police speculated it was caused by fireworks. Last week, witnesses reported big booms of a different sort. A brilliant yellow streak was seen in the skies north of the city, in Westchester and Rockland counties. Some residents believed it was a meteorite fireball.
Meteorite News 16MAR-17MAR09
Meteor dust: Clues to secrets of life
Moldova.org Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:09 AM PDT
U.S. space agency scientists say they've discovered meteor dust contains clues to a long-standing mystery: how life works at its most basic, molecular level.We found more support for the idea that biological molecules, like amino acids, created in space and brought to Earth by meteorite impacts help explain why life is left-handed, said Daniel Glavin of the National Aeronautics and Space ...
Molecules From Space May Have Affected Life On Earth
Universe Today Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT
A decade ago researchers analyzed amino acids from space, brought to Earth in meteorite which landed in Australia, finding a prevalence of âleft-handedâ amino acids over their âright-handedâ form. Now, a new study of dust from meteorites supports this finding, and offers new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its [...]
Unidentified object from sky hits vehicle in Cottonwood
Anderson Valley Post Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:56 AM PDT
A meteorite may have been what smashed into the windshield of a Cottonwood couple's sport utility vehicle late last month, destroying much of the dashboard and melting some of the glass.
Meteorite hunter: Find near Aquilla nets $10,000
Waco Tribune-Herald Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:32 PM PDTBy Ken Sury
Moldova.org Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:09 AM PDT
U.S. space agency scientists say they've discovered meteor dust contains clues to a long-standing mystery: how life works at its most basic, molecular level.We found more support for the idea that biological molecules, like amino acids, created in space and brought to Earth by meteorite impacts help explain why life is left-handed, said Daniel Glavin of the National Aeronautics and Space ...
Molecules From Space May Have Affected Life On Earth
Universe Today Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT
A decade ago researchers analyzed amino acids from space, brought to Earth in meteorite which landed in Australia, finding a prevalence of âleft-handedâ amino acids over their âright-handedâ form. Now, a new study of dust from meteorites supports this finding, and offers new clues to a long-standing mystery about how life works on its [...]
Unidentified object from sky hits vehicle in Cottonwood
Anderson Valley Post Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:56 AM PDT
A meteorite may have been what smashed into the windshield of a Cottonwood couple's sport utility vehicle late last month, destroying much of the dashboard and melting some of the glass.
Meteorite hunter: Find near Aquilla nets $10,000
Waco Tribune-Herald Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:32 PM PDTBy Ken Sury
Asteroid to Fly By Earth Wednesday 17MAR09
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2085
Asteroid to Fly By Earth Wednesday
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 17, 2009
PASADENA, Calif. -
A small asteroid will fly past Earth early tomorrow morning (Wed., March 18). The asteroid, 2009 FH, is about 50 feet (15meters) wide. Its closest approach to Earth will occur at 5:17 a.m. PDT(8:17 a.m. EDT, 12:17 UTC) at an altitude of about 49,000 miles (79,000kilometers)."This asteroid flyby will be a good viewing opportunity for both professional and amateur astronomers," said Don Yeomans of the Near-Earth Object Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The asteroid poses no risk of impact to Earth now or for the foreseeable future."NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard,"plots the orbits of these objects to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.For more information, visit: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/
Media contact: DC Agle/JPL 818-393-9011
Asteroid to Fly By Earth Wednesday
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 17, 2009
PASADENA, Calif. -
A small asteroid will fly past Earth early tomorrow morning (Wed., March 18). The asteroid, 2009 FH, is about 50 feet (15meters) wide. Its closest approach to Earth will occur at 5:17 a.m. PDT(8:17 a.m. EDT, 12:17 UTC) at an altitude of about 49,000 miles (79,000kilometers)."This asteroid flyby will be a good viewing opportunity for both professional and amateur astronomers," said Don Yeomans of the Near-Earth Object Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The asteroid poses no risk of impact to Earth now or for the foreseeable future."NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard,"plots the orbits of these objects to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.For more information, visit: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/
Media contact: DC Agle/JPL 818-393-9011
ASTEROID BUZZES EARTH 17MAR09
Space Weather News for March 17, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID BUZZES EARTH: Newly-discovered asteroid 2009 FH is flying past Earth tonight only 85,000 km (0.00057 AU) away. That's a little more than twice the height of a geosynchronous communications satellite. Experienced amateur astronomers in North America can photograph the 20-meter-wide space rock racing through the constellation Gemini after sunset on March 17th. It should be about as bright as a 14th magnitude star.
Please visit http://spaceweather.com for an ephemeris and updates.
This is the second time in March that an asteroid has flown so close to Earth. On March 2nd, 2009 DD45 passed by only 72,000 km away. Measuring some tens of meters in diameter, 2009 DD45 and 2009 FH are approximately Tunguska-class objects, meaning they pose no global threat but could cause local damage if they actually hit Earth. In years past, asteroids of this size often passed unnoticed, but recent improvements in asteroid surveys have resulted in growing numbers of space rocks caught in the act of near-Earth flybys.
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID BUZZES EARTH: Newly-discovered asteroid 2009 FH is flying past Earth tonight only 85,000 km (0.00057 AU) away. That's a little more than twice the height of a geosynchronous communications satellite. Experienced amateur astronomers in North America can photograph the 20-meter-wide space rock racing through the constellation Gemini after sunset on March 17th. It should be about as bright as a 14th magnitude star.
Please visit http://spaceweather.com for an ephemeris and updates.
This is the second time in March that an asteroid has flown so close to Earth. On March 2nd, 2009 DD45 passed by only 72,000 km away. Measuring some tens of meters in diameter, 2009 DD45 and 2009 FH are approximately Tunguska-class objects, meaning they pose no global threat but could cause local damage if they actually hit Earth. In years past, asteroids of this size often passed unnoticed, but recent improvements in asteroid surveys have resulted in growing numbers of space rocks caught in the act of near-Earth flybys.
16 March 2009
Daylight Fireball Pattaya/Chonburi, Thailand 15MAR09
18.42 Thailand time (early twilight) there was a daylight fireball in the direction of Pattaya or Chonburi (both N of here - pattaya 18 km, and Chonburi about 90 km)Track about 10˚ long, about 20˚ above the horizon, sloping about 20˚ down to the east. Appeared slow, visible tail very short - unspectacular. First evening stars appeared shortly after the event.
Source: Stuart Saunders-Meteorobs
http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
Source: Stuart Saunders-Meteorobs
http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
15 March 2009
Astronomers Without Borders Launches New Website 14MAR09
Milky Way under the Iranian Night Sky by www.twanight.org (c)2009
Boundaries vanish when we look skyward We all share the same sky
www.astronomerswithoutborders.org
The star-filled night fascinates us all. People have gazed upward at it in wonder and awe for thousands of years. Regardless of earthly differences in culture, nationality or religion, the heavens are a common meeting ground for all of Earth's inhabitants. The boundaries we place between us vanish when we look skyward. Whoever, whatever or wherever we are, we all share the same sky.
Sharing is an integral part of appreciating the cosmos. Amateur astronomers regularly take their telescopes to public sites and invite others to join them in their exploration of the skies. The veterans relive the thrill of discovery alongside these new space explorers. This passion to share the night sky crosses international borders and cultures as well. The heavens transcend political, ethnic and religious differences. The tensions of everyday life seem to drain away before the wonder and enormity of the skies, and those standing in darkness with heads turned upward never ask people beside them about their origins or beliefs. In that moment, differences are forgotten and we are one beneath the sky we share.It is this bond between people that Astronomers Without Borders hopes to foster. A brief message or the gift of a small telescope can grow into lasting bonds, goodwill and friendships that reach around the world. Understanding replaces ignorance and suspicion. Media images are superceded by the faces of real people. Relationships, support and personal connections supplant stereotypes.
Astronomers Without Borders is people meeting among the heavens. It is only natural to do so. After all, we all share the same sky.
The star-filled night fascinates us all. People have gazed upward at it in wonder and awe for thousands of years. Regardless of earthly differences in culture, nationality or religion, the heavens are a common meeting ground for all of Earth's inhabitants. The boundaries we place between us vanish when we look skyward. Whoever, whatever or wherever we are, we all share the same sky.
Sharing is an integral part of appreciating the cosmos. Amateur astronomers regularly take their telescopes to public sites and invite others to join them in their exploration of the skies. The veterans relive the thrill of discovery alongside these new space explorers. This passion to share the night sky crosses international borders and cultures as well. The heavens transcend political, ethnic and religious differences. The tensions of everyday life seem to drain away before the wonder and enormity of the skies, and those standing in darkness with heads turned upward never ask people beside them about their origins or beliefs. In that moment, differences are forgotten and we are one beneath the sky we share.It is this bond between people that Astronomers Without Borders hopes to foster. A brief message or the gift of a small telescope can grow into lasting bonds, goodwill and friendships that reach around the world. Understanding replaces ignorance and suspicion. Media images are superceded by the faces of real people. Relationships, support and personal connections supplant stereotypes.
Astronomers Without Borders is people meeting among the heavens. It is only natural to do so. After all, we all share the same sky.
14 March 2009
Renewed Interest in in Asteroid Defence 14MAR09
Near Miss Renews U.N. Interest in Asteroid Defence By Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service, http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46089
NEO News (03/12/09) UN Report on NEO Threat Mitigation http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-031209-un-report-on-neo-threat.html
NEO News (03/07/09) Newsworthy NEAs: 2009DD45 & 2008TN166http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-030709-newsworthy-neas.html
Surprise Asteroid Buzzed Earth Monday, National Geographic, March 2, 2009, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090302-asteroid-earth.html
EDITORIAL COMMENT Cosmic Near-miss, Times of India,MArch 11, 2009http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/EDITORIAL-COMMENT--Cosmic-Near-miss/articleshow/4253466.cms
Source: Paul Heinrich
NEO News (03/12/09) UN Report on NEO Threat Mitigation http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-031209-un-report-on-neo-threat.html
NEO News (03/07/09) Newsworthy NEAs: 2009DD45 & 2008TN166http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-030709-newsworthy-neas.html
Surprise Asteroid Buzzed Earth Monday, National Geographic, March 2, 2009, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090302-asteroid-earth.html
EDITORIAL COMMENT Cosmic Near-miss, Times of India,MArch 11, 2009http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/EDITORIAL-COMMENT--Cosmic-Near-miss/articleshow/4253466.cms
Source: Paul Heinrich
Swedish Fireball of Jan 17 Meteorite Fell in Denmark 13MAR09
Meteoritten, som er blevet fundet på Lolland, er på størrelse med en blomme, og den smuldrer let.
- Foto: NIELS CHRISTENSEN
Forsvundet dansk meteorit er dukket op
Af Elisabeth Astrup og Morten Garly Andersen
Mange danskere i den sydøstlige del af landet observerede i januar en meteor på nattehimlen. Nu er dele af den fundet.
Dele af den meteor, der midt i januar oplyste aftenhimlen i blandt andet de sydøstlige dele af Danmark, er fundet. Det bekræfter Henning Haack, lektor ved Geologisk Museum over for politiken.dk.
Dele af meteoren, meteoritter, er formentlig fundet på Lolland.
17. januar kunne meteoren ses på himlen fra nordtyskland, sydsverige og de sydøstlige egne i Danmark.
Troede den var landet i Østersøen Ud fra de mange henvendelser, som eksperter har modtaget om meteoren har eksperter hidtil vurderet, at meteoritterne var landet et sted i Østersøen syd for Lolland-Falster.
Meteorer er sten, som kommer ind i Jordens atmosfære, og som på grund af deres høje hastighed trækker lysende ildspor efter sig på himlen.
http://politiken.dk/videnskab/article668819.ece
Meteor över Skåne slog ner i Danmark 13MAR09
Meteor över Skåne slog ner i Danmark
Delar av den meteor som många människor i södra Skåne, sydöstra Danmark och norra Tyskland såg den 17 januari har påträffats på Lolland, skriver danska tidningen Politiken på nätet.
18 januari 2009 Bröderna fångade meteoren på film 17 januari 2009 Spektakulärt fenomen lyste upp Sydsverige
Delarna, meteoriter, har påträffats på Lolland bekräftar lektor Henning Haack vid Geologiskt museum i Köpenhamn.Hittills har man på grundval av de många uppgifter från allmänheten som kommit in trott att meteoriden störtade i havet söder om Lolland-Falster.
Vägde flera ton
Till TV 4 Nyheterna Öresund säger Haack att fyndet väger ungefär 30 gram – att jämföra med de flera ton som meteoren tros ha vägt då den trädde in i atmosfären. Fyndet gjordes av en tysk meteoritjägare som i tre veckor intervjuat ögonvittnen och sedan ägnat en vecka åt att leta efter nedslagsplatsen. Delarna ska nu ställas ut på Geologisk museum. Det är första gången sedan 1951 som en meteorit hittats i Danmark.
News Source: http://www.expressen.se/1.1497429
Meteor över Skåne slog ner i Danmark
Av TT
Publicerad: 2009-03-13 18:10
http://www.expressen.se/1.1497429
Delar av den meteor som många människor i södra Skåne, sydöstra Danmark och norra Tyskland såg den 17 januari har påträffats på Lolland, skriver danska tidningen Politiken på nätet.
18 januari 2009 Bröderna fångade meteoren på film 17 januari 2009 Spektakulärt fenomen lyste upp Sydsverige
Delarna, meteoriter, har påträffats på Lolland bekräftar lektor Henning Haack vid Geologiskt museum i Köpenhamn.Hittills har man på grundval av de många uppgifter från allmänheten som kommit in trott att meteoriden störtade i havet söder om Lolland-Falster.
Vägde flera ton
Till TV 4 Nyheterna Öresund säger Haack att fyndet väger ungefär 30 gram – att jämföra med de flera ton som meteoren tros ha vägt då den trädde in i atmosfären. Fyndet gjordes av en tysk meteoritjägare som i tre veckor intervjuat ögonvittnen och sedan ägnat en vecka åt att leta efter nedslagsplatsen. Delarna ska nu ställas ut på Geologisk museum. Det är första gången sedan 1951 som en meteorit hittats i Danmark.
News Source: http://www.expressen.se/1.1497429
Meteor över Skåne slog ner i Danmark
Av TT
Publicerad: 2009-03-13 18:10
http://www.expressen.se/1.1497429
13 March 2009
Upcoming International Meteor Conference-Croatia Sep 24-27, 2009
International Meteor Conference
Porec, Croatia, September 24-27, 2009
=====================================
This year, the International Meteor Conference (IMC) will take place from September 24 to 27 in Croatia, at a beautiful location on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, located on the Istrian Peninsula. The IMC is one of the highlights of the meteoric year and a unique opportunity to meet like-minded people from all over the world and to exchange experiences. In particular, you have the opportunity to present your own results or those of your observing group by giving a presentation. In that case, you will see the paper of your presentation published in the proceedings that will be compiled after the event.
Participation in the 2009 IMC costs 160 euro for IMO (International Meteor Organization) members. This sum includes full board in the conference hotel, all sessions, the conference excursion, a 2009 IMC T-shirt, and the conference proceedings. Early registrants get a reduction of 10 euro. You can register by filling out the electronic registration form and paying the registration fee, or making a prepayment of at least 75 euro.
Registration and Conference information: http://www.imo.net/imc2009
Porec, Croatia, September 24-27, 2009
=====================================
This year, the International Meteor Conference (IMC) will take place from September 24 to 27 in Croatia, at a beautiful location on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, located on the Istrian Peninsula. The IMC is one of the highlights of the meteoric year and a unique opportunity to meet like-minded people from all over the world and to exchange experiences. In particular, you have the opportunity to present your own results or those of your observing group by giving a presentation. In that case, you will see the paper of your presentation published in the proceedings that will be compiled after the event.
Participation in the 2009 IMC costs 160 euro for IMO (International Meteor Organization) members. This sum includes full board in the conference hotel, all sessions, the conference excursion, a 2009 IMC T-shirt, and the conference proceedings. Early registrants get a reduction of 10 euro. You can register by filling out the electronic registration form and paying the registration fee, or making a prepayment of at least 75 euro.
Registration and Conference information: http://www.imo.net/imc2009
11 March 2009
Rummager's galactic find turns out to be stolen meteorite 11MAR09
Photo of postcard by Mike Jensen- Jensen Meteorites
http://jensenmeteorites.com/Postcards/CanyonDiablo.htm
Rummager's galactic find turns out to be stolen meteorite
by Jim Stingl
Posted: Mar. 11, 2009
This story begins not in a galaxy far away, but at a Milwaukee rummage sale a few years ago. Tom Lynch paid $10 for an odd hunk of metal he figured might be copper or bronze with potential salvage value.
He had no idea it had dropped from space into the Arizona desert some 50,000 years ago...(more)
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/41069052.html
Cosmos May Produce Meteors Starting March 12th 11MAR09
COSMOS IS FALLING:
The first fragments of shattered satellite Cosmos 2251 are about to reenter Earth's atmosphere. According to US Strategic Command, fragment 1993-036PX will reenter on March 12th, followed by 1993-036KW on March 28th and 1993-036MC on March 30th. These are probably centimeter-sized pieces that will disintegrate in the atmosphere, posing no threat to people on the ground.
more... http://spaceweather.com/
The first fragments of shattered satellite Cosmos 2251 are about to reenter Earth's atmosphere. According to US Strategic Command, fragment 1993-036PX will reenter on March 12th, followed by 1993-036KW on March 28th and 1993-036MC on March 30th. These are probably centimeter-sized pieces that will disintegrate in the atmosphere, posing no threat to people on the ground.
more... http://spaceweather.com/
Mystery in Brazílian Sky Calls Attention of Scientists 11MAR09
Brazílian Sky Calls Attention of Scientists
Brazil
Brasília em Tepo Real 10/03/2009 07h01m
-translation by Babelfish
An identified flying object illuminated for some seconds in the night Saturday in the DF and Goiás. Scientists investigate the phenomenon and they do not discard that a meteorite has entered in the atmosphere.
Scientists try to unmask the mystery around the torch of light in green tone that cut the sky of the capital of the country in the Saturday night. Inhabitants of the Federal District described a flying object not identified (Ovni) with a different brightness and behavior of an airplane.
Astronomers believe to be a meteorite or dissolute piece of the Lulin comet. Equipment of the University of Brasilia (UnB) had not yet registered a north-eastern explained signal of Goiás, where inhabitants also say to have witnessed a phenomenon similar to the testified one for the brasilienses.
More in the Post office
Original story:
Mistério no céu de Brasília chama atenção de cientistas
"Brazílian Sky Calls Attention of Scientists"
Brasilia em Tepo Real
Brasília
10/03/2009 07h01m
Um objeto voador não identificado iluminou por alguns segundos a noite de sábado no DF e em Goiás. Cientistas investigam o fenômeno e não descartam que um meteorito tenha entrado na atmosfera terrestre.
Cientistas tentam desvendar o mistério em torno do facho de luz em tom verde que cortou o céu da capital do país na noite de sábado. Moradores do Distrito Federal viram um objeto voador não identificado (Ovni) com brilho e comportamento bem diferentes de um avião.
Astrônomos acreditam se tratar de um meteorito ou pedaço desgarrado do cometa Lulin. Equipamentos da Universidade de Brasília (UnB) registraram um sinal ainda não explicado no nordeste de Goiás, onde habitantes também dizem ter presenciado um fenômeno parecido com o testemunhado pelos brasilienses.
Leia mais no Correio
http://www.emtemporeal.com.br/index.asp?area=2&dia=10&mes=03&ano=2009&idnoticia=71448
Source: Gabriel, Brazilian Society of Meteorite Study, Brazil
Thank you, Gabriel!
Brazil
Brasília em Tepo Real 10/03/2009 07h01m
-translation by Babelfish
An identified flying object illuminated for some seconds in the night Saturday in the DF and Goiás. Scientists investigate the phenomenon and they do not discard that a meteorite has entered in the atmosphere.
Scientists try to unmask the mystery around the torch of light in green tone that cut the sky of the capital of the country in the Saturday night. Inhabitants of the Federal District described a flying object not identified (Ovni) with a different brightness and behavior of an airplane.
Astronomers believe to be a meteorite or dissolute piece of the Lulin comet. Equipment of the University of Brasilia (UnB) had not yet registered a north-eastern explained signal of Goiás, where inhabitants also say to have witnessed a phenomenon similar to the testified one for the brasilienses.
More in the Post office
Original story:
Mistério no céu de Brasília chama atenção de cientistas
"Brazílian Sky Calls Attention of Scientists"
Brasilia em Tepo Real
Brasília
10/03/2009 07h01m
Um objeto voador não identificado iluminou por alguns segundos a noite de sábado no DF e em Goiás. Cientistas investigam o fenômeno e não descartam que um meteorito tenha entrado na atmosfera terrestre.
Cientistas tentam desvendar o mistério em torno do facho de luz em tom verde que cortou o céu da capital do país na noite de sábado. Moradores do Distrito Federal viram um objeto voador não identificado (Ovni) com brilho e comportamento bem diferentes de um avião.
Astrônomos acreditam se tratar de um meteorito ou pedaço desgarrado do cometa Lulin. Equipamentos da Universidade de Brasília (UnB) registraram um sinal ainda não explicado no nordeste de Goiás, onde habitantes também dizem ter presenciado um fenômeno parecido com o testemunhado pelos brasilienses.
Leia mais no Correio
http://www.emtemporeal.com.br/index.asp?area=2&dia=10&mes=03&ano=2009&idnoticia=71448
Source: Gabriel, Brazilian Society of Meteorite Study, Brazil
Thank you, Gabriel!
Second Loud Boom in NY 10MAR09
Another mystery boom wakes people in region
A second loud boom may have rattled windows in parts of Rockland County yesterday - and its origin remains as mysterious as the explosive noise that blew through southern Westchester County over the weekend.The Journal News - Mar 10 5:37 PM
A second loud boom may have rattled windows in parts of Rockland County yesterday - and its origin remains as mysterious as the explosive noise that blew through southern Westchester County over the weekend.The Journal News - Mar 10 5:37 PM
10 March 2009
Westchester County, New York Meteor? 9MAR09
Doppler image of NY 7MAR09 meteor debris by Marc Fries
Meteorite may have hit Westchester County, NY
Pocono Record
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:58 AM PDT
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) -- Thought your neighbor's party was getting way out of hand?
What's that sound? Possible NY Meteorite
News Channel 34
Binghamton
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:16 AM PDT
White Plains, N.Y. (AP) - Thought your neighbor's party was getting way out of hand? A loud "boom" heard in Westchester County over the weekend might have been a meteorite.
Big Boom In White Plains May Have Been Meteorite
WCBS-TV
New York
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:00 AM PDT
Thought your neighbor's party was getting way out of hand? A loud "boom" heard in Westchester County over the weekend might have been a meteorite. The sound early Saturday has been likened to a window-rattling explosion.
Meteorite May Have Hit Westchester County
WCBS 880
New York
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:54 AM PDT
Thought your neighbor's party was getting way out of hand?
Possible meteorite in Westchester County
WRGB
Albany
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:52 AM PDT
A loud "boom" heard in Westchester County over the weekend might have been a meteorite. The sound early Saturday has been likened to a window-rattling explosion.
Loud boom over Westchester might have been meteor
The Journal News
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:40 AM PDT
The loud boom heard throughout southern Westchester early Saturday morning might have been a meteorite tearing through the atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour.
09 March 2009
Meteor? sighting over Fort St. John, B.C.,Canada 9MAR09
Strange sighting in the sky above Fort St. John
Energetic City.CA
Monday, March 2, 2009
There's no official confirmation yet of anything unusual in the area but residents east of Fort St. John report seeing something strange falling from the sky on Saturday afternoon.
Vincent Miller says he saw it at 1:17pm , while travelling north at on road 239...
[Hear audio]
Mr. Miller says it all happened very quickly but it looked like it came down less than five miles away.
However, he's heard no reports of any sitings of debris on the ground.
He puts his farm about 14 miles straight east of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, on the north side of the Beatton River.
Energetic City.CA
Monday, March 2, 2009
There's no official confirmation yet of anything unusual in the area but residents east of Fort St. John report seeing something strange falling from the sky on Saturday afternoon.
Vincent Miller says he saw it at 1:17pm , while travelling north at on road 239...
[Hear audio]
Mr. Miller says it all happened very quickly but it looked like it came down less than five miles away.
However, he's heard no reports of any sitings of debris on the ground.
He puts his farm about 14 miles straight east of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, on the north side of the Beatton River.
Exploring the Pingualuit Impact Crater 7MAR09
Photo by Charles O`Dale for the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society
April, 9, 2009
Exploring the Pingualuit Impact Crater
by Charles O’Dale, Ottawa Centre (codale0806@rogers.com)
Introduction
The Pingualuit Impact Crater, located in northern Quebec at N 61° 16´ W 73° 40´, was the first structure in Canada for which an impact origin was proposed. The structure is classified as a simple crater, 2.8 km in diameter and 400 m deep. It is slightly larger than the smallest crater on the Moon that is observable from our planet (Meen 1951). The inner slopeof the 3.4-km-diameter rim averages 30° and the outer slope averages 10°. The rim extends to a diameter of ~4.6 km and continues gradually outward to merge with the surrounding terrain at ~6.6 km. The peak of the rim is ~160 m above the inner lake level and 120 - 150 m above the regional terrain. The lake within the crater, with a depth of over 250 m, is one ofthe deepest in North America. It is also one of the clearest in the world with a transparency of over 35 m. Dating using the isotope ratio 40Ar-39Ar (Grieve 2006) gives the impact structurean age of 1.4 ± 0.1 Ma. The Pingualuit Impact Crater was formerly named New Quebec Crater and, previous to that, Chubb Crater.
NOTE: Whole article is to be published soon and I will add more photos later.
08 March 2009
West, TX Meteorite hunter donates rare find 6MAR09
Meteorite hunter donates rare find
10:47 AM PST on Friday, March 6, 2009
By KGW Staff
PORTLAND -- A meteorite hunter from Portland is donating part of a recent find to Portland State University.
Video: Fireball during Texas marathon
Meteor fireball in sky
Meteorite donated to PSU
You may have seen the video of the fireball captured during a marathon last month near Austin, Texas.
When Patrick Thompson heard about it, he decided to spend eight days looking for parts of the meteor and he was successful. After searching on foot an average of 25 miles a day, he ended up finding 14 fragments of the meteorite.
For Thompson, it’s a true treasure.
“There's something about it, something about putting your hands on a rock and being the first person to touch it,” he said. “It came from space. These things are floating around up there, every time you see a shooting star, you're kind of reminded of the fact that these things are coming to earth, bombarding us all the time.”
Scientists said because Thompson’s latest meteorite finds are so fresh, the rocks are especially valuable.
Thompson said he plans to sell some of the rocks after donating at least one of them to PSU.
10:47 AM PST on Friday, March 6, 2009
By KGW Staff
PORTLAND -- A meteorite hunter from Portland is donating part of a recent find to Portland State University.
Video: Fireball during Texas marathon
Meteor fireball in sky
Meteorite donated to PSU
You may have seen the video of the fireball captured during a marathon last month near Austin, Texas.
When Patrick Thompson heard about it, he decided to spend eight days looking for parts of the meteor and he was successful. After searching on foot an average of 25 miles a day, he ended up finding 14 fragments of the meteorite.
For Thompson, it’s a true treasure.
“There's something about it, something about putting your hands on a rock and being the first person to touch it,” he said. “It came from space. These things are floating around up there, every time you see a shooting star, you're kind of reminded of the fact that these things are coming to earth, bombarding us all the time.”
Scientists said because Thompson’s latest meteorite finds are so fresh, the rocks are especially valuable.
Thompson said he plans to sell some of the rocks after donating at least one of them to PSU.
Student`s Science Fair Project on Earth Microbes 6MAR09
Students show off science projects
by Garrett Andrews
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated; Friday, March 06, 2009
Speaking only slightly louder than the buzz of several hundred other student-scientists inside the reverberating concrete walls of the La Plata County Fairgrounds, Pagosa Springs eighth-grader Kendra Schlom explained her answer to the determining question of human existence: How did life on Earth originate?
She was discussing her entry in the San Juan Basin Regional Science Fair, a project that supports the idea that a meteorite could have transported early microbes to Earth.
In her project, titled "Finding the Origin," Kendra located the highest survivable temperatures for several primitive microbes and tested to see if these microbes could survive the temperatures a meteorite sustains when entering the Earth's atmosphere and crashing into the surface. She used basalt tiles to simulate chondrite meteorites.
Kendra and her father, a mechanic at Wolf Creek Ski Area, took an acetylene torch to samples of varying thicknesses, to analyze the time it takes the heat to completely penetrate the samples.
"From this information, I think that microbes could survive, because the temperature never exceeded the limit of what they could survive in," she said. "I believe that even if we went into lower thicknesses, they could survive, as long as the meteor is a quarter inch or thicker."
If she's right, then it's theoretically possible that these lone microbes ignited the evolutionary process that produced all of life as we know it.
Kendra, who hopes to study quantum physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after high school, was one of 209 entries in this year's fair. About 20 winners will travel to the state science fair in Denver later this month.
Fair coordinator Jeff Hatfield said that as scores in science, technology and math continue to slide, events like science fairs become more important.
"CSAP scores and other assessment data show that we really need to ramp this up a bit. The fair is when you can actually get kids to dedicate their time to an actual science project. They're doing all the learning on their own.
"The bottom line is that we want these kids to be strongly rooted in science and technology," he said.
Not all the other projects had such divine implications as Kendra's, but most reflected hours of original study.
Bayfield eighth-grader Denvir Clarke placed bacteria in petri dishes and studied over time the effects of various germ-killing household cleaning products.
"I found that my hypothesis was wrong," she said near the end of a run-through of her presentation.
"Antibacterial soap is less effective at killing bacteria than regular soap."
Standing near a prototype of his invention was Kolton Miller, an eighth-grader at Mancos Middle School. He rushed through the features of the Bear-icade self-opening bear-proof trash can with the panache of a salesman, eagerly maintaining eye contact and gesturing with his hands, even as he went on bear-related tangents.
"I'm aware there's already a bear-proof trash can on the market today. The difference is, my trash can is more convenient," Kolton said.
With the Bear-icade, there's no more manual locking and unlocking. The device automatically locks after the lid is lifted and closed, and is disengaged by the extending arm of a garbage truck. Best of all, Kolton said, area bears stay safe and out of trouble.
Upstairs, the four judges for the earth sciences category pored over the merits of the nine projects assigned to their section. Consulting geologist Mary Gillam, retired geophysicist James Albright, consulting geotechnical engineer Barb McCall and school psychologist Patrick Callahan were unanimous in supporting Kendra for first place in her division.
Her idea provoked discussion at a table of professionals.
"It was an unusual approach to an ambitious topic," said Gillam.
Said McCall: "It could be the answer to life's biggest question. Right here in Durango."
The contestants each went through two rounds of judging and some were called back. The judges put Kendra on the spot during her presentation, asking about the effects of kinetic energy on the microbes, and she took their questions in stride and admitted when she didn't know.
All of the entries were good, the judges said.
"She was just far more expansive," said Albright.
by Garrett Andrews
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated; Friday, March 06, 2009
Speaking only slightly louder than the buzz of several hundred other student-scientists inside the reverberating concrete walls of the La Plata County Fairgrounds, Pagosa Springs eighth-grader Kendra Schlom explained her answer to the determining question of human existence: How did life on Earth originate?
She was discussing her entry in the San Juan Basin Regional Science Fair, a project that supports the idea that a meteorite could have transported early microbes to Earth.
In her project, titled "Finding the Origin," Kendra located the highest survivable temperatures for several primitive microbes and tested to see if these microbes could survive the temperatures a meteorite sustains when entering the Earth's atmosphere and crashing into the surface. She used basalt tiles to simulate chondrite meteorites.
Kendra and her father, a mechanic at Wolf Creek Ski Area, took an acetylene torch to samples of varying thicknesses, to analyze the time it takes the heat to completely penetrate the samples.
"From this information, I think that microbes could survive, because the temperature never exceeded the limit of what they could survive in," she said. "I believe that even if we went into lower thicknesses, they could survive, as long as the meteor is a quarter inch or thicker."
If she's right, then it's theoretically possible that these lone microbes ignited the evolutionary process that produced all of life as we know it.
Kendra, who hopes to study quantum physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after high school, was one of 209 entries in this year's fair. About 20 winners will travel to the state science fair in Denver later this month.
Fair coordinator Jeff Hatfield said that as scores in science, technology and math continue to slide, events like science fairs become more important.
"CSAP scores and other assessment data show that we really need to ramp this up a bit. The fair is when you can actually get kids to dedicate their time to an actual science project. They're doing all the learning on their own.
"The bottom line is that we want these kids to be strongly rooted in science and technology," he said.
Not all the other projects had such divine implications as Kendra's, but most reflected hours of original study.
Bayfield eighth-grader Denvir Clarke placed bacteria in petri dishes and studied over time the effects of various germ-killing household cleaning products.
"I found that my hypothesis was wrong," she said near the end of a run-through of her presentation.
"Antibacterial soap is less effective at killing bacteria than regular soap."
Standing near a prototype of his invention was Kolton Miller, an eighth-grader at Mancos Middle School. He rushed through the features of the Bear-icade self-opening bear-proof trash can with the panache of a salesman, eagerly maintaining eye contact and gesturing with his hands, even as he went on bear-related tangents.
"I'm aware there's already a bear-proof trash can on the market today. The difference is, my trash can is more convenient," Kolton said.
With the Bear-icade, there's no more manual locking and unlocking. The device automatically locks after the lid is lifted and closed, and is disengaged by the extending arm of a garbage truck. Best of all, Kolton said, area bears stay safe and out of trouble.
Upstairs, the four judges for the earth sciences category pored over the merits of the nine projects assigned to their section. Consulting geologist Mary Gillam, retired geophysicist James Albright, consulting geotechnical engineer Barb McCall and school psychologist Patrick Callahan were unanimous in supporting Kendra for first place in her division.
Her idea provoked discussion at a table of professionals.
"It was an unusual approach to an ambitious topic," said Gillam.
Said McCall: "It could be the answer to life's biggest question. Right here in Durango."
The contestants each went through two rounds of judging and some were called back. The judges put Kendra on the spot during her presentation, asking about the effects of kinetic energy on the microbes, and she took their questions in stride and admitted when she didn't know.
All of the entries were good, the judges said.
"She was just far more expansive," said Albright.
06 March 2009
Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada Meteor of March 5, 2008 One Year Ago
Photo by Univ. of Western Ontario, CAO-RASC (c)2008
Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada Meteor--March 5, 2008 at 10:59 p.m. EST
Anyone have any updates concerning meteorite finds from this meteor? Please comment on this post if you have any information. Thank you.
Western astronomers on hunt for meteor
By Communications Staff Friday, March 7, 2008
Astronomers from The University of Western Ontario have captured rare video of a meteor falling to Earth, and are hoping to enlist the help of local residents in recovering one or more possible meteorites that may have crashed in the Parry Sound area.
Map (Zoom)
Map (Full Version 1)
Map (Full Version 2)
Image
Video File (.avi)
Video File (.mov)
The Physics and Astronomy Department at Western has a network of all-sky cameras in Southern Ontario that scan the sky monitoring for meteors. Associate Professor Peter Brown, who specializes in the study of meteors and meteorites, says that Wednesday evening (March 5) at 10:59 p.m. EST these cameras captured video of a large fireball and the department has also received a number of calls and emails from people who actually saw the light. Brown along with Wayne Edwards, a post doctorate student, are now working to get the word out among interested people who may be willing to see if they can spot any fallen meteorites. “Most meteoroids burn up by the time they hit an altitude of 60 or 70 kilometres from Earth," says Edwards. “We tracked this one to an altitude of about 24 kilometres so we are pretty sure there are at least one, and possibly many meteorites, that made it to the ground." Edwards says the lab can narrow the ground location where the meteorite would have fallen, to about 12 square kilometres and have created a map that may assist in locating the meteorite. The rock, or rocks, would probably weigh a kilogram or slightly more. “We would love to find a recovered meteorite on this one, because we have the video and we have the data and by putting that together with the meteorite, there is a lot to be learned." Wayne Edwards is available for interviews and/or to report finds at 519-850-2385. He can also be reached via email at wedwards@uwo.ca If you would like to receive a 14-mb video file of the meteor in avi format, maps or an image, please reply to this email address.
Reply Comment by Mark Langenfeld:
While I have heard nothing further, the linked maps suggest whatever survived may have splashed into Georgian Bay.
Reply Comment by Patrick Herrmann:
Nothing had been recovered from that fall. The stones fell too far out in Georgian Bay, and the ice was too thin to go by snowmobile. Point-au-Baril is what they ended up calling the potential strewn field.I was trying to get a helicopter lined up to go and look for some stones, but then, about a week or so after the fireball, there was another snowstorm, and that was it.
03 March 2009
Tamarind the Australian dog proves Martian life 3MAR09
Australian dog proves Martian life
A dog trained to sniff out sewage-scented meteorites may have found evidence that life once existed on Mars, a discovery that could have saved NASA the expense of sending probes.
The Dingo-Kelpie mongrel picked out the unpleasant aroma of bacteria in mud from Queensland bacteria that matched fossils of primitive organisms in Martian rock that plunged into Antarctica 13,000 years ago.
Known as Tamarind to biophysicist owner Tony Taylor, the Australian dog could have saved NASA the bother of sending probes to the red planet - if only it had sniffed around filth in Moreton Bay sooner.
And NASA scientists who examined the potato-sized meteorite discovery, called ALH84001, agree this may well be proof that life really did exist on Mars.
Well-trained
Taylor said Tamarind came along on all his field trips, so training him to smell out sediments containing specific bacteria was quite easy. "It smells like sewage and she knows the word 'stinky'."
Based at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in Sydney, Taylor says he and colleague Professor John Barry have examined 82 different bacteria, retrieved from the area identified by the dog.
"When we say life, we're talking about bacteria, single cell primitive life forms, like we have here on Earth. It'd be underground, we'd have to drill down, so these little rovers that are crawling all over the surface would never find it" Tony Taylor,biophysicist.
They discovered they contained 11 characteristics also found in the Mars fossils, including a structure other scientists claimed could only be formed in intense heat.
"They were a perfect match, absolutely perfect. Eleven features out of 11," said Taylor, whose work, crediting Tamarind, was published on Thursday in the "Journal of Microscopy".
"These fossils are four billion years old. They pre-date the fossil record of life here on Earth."
Imaging technique
The bacteria-studying duo developed an imaging technique that allowed them to examine the bacteria at a much higher resolution - and they were delighted with the findings.
The scientists now believe the combined data warrant a manned mission to Mars to retrieve further samples.
"The results indicate very strongly that life was once there and... that life might still be there," Taylor said. "When we say life, we're talking about bacteria, single cell primitive life forms, like we have here on Earth."
"It'd be underground, we'd have to drill down, so these little rovers that are crawling all over the surface would never find it."
Two US-backed rovers are now exploring the red plant and transmitting unprecedented images of the barren landscape, but may achieve little else.
Source:Reuters
Last modified: 30/01/2004 15:30:59
A dog trained to sniff out sewage-scented meteorites may have found evidence that life once existed on Mars, a discovery that could have saved NASA the expense of sending probes.
The Dingo-Kelpie mongrel picked out the unpleasant aroma of bacteria in mud from Queensland bacteria that matched fossils of primitive organisms in Martian rock that plunged into Antarctica 13,000 years ago.
Known as Tamarind to biophysicist owner Tony Taylor, the Australian dog could have saved NASA the bother of sending probes to the red planet - if only it had sniffed around filth in Moreton Bay sooner.
And NASA scientists who examined the potato-sized meteorite discovery, called ALH84001, agree this may well be proof that life really did exist on Mars.
Well-trained
Taylor said Tamarind came along on all his field trips, so training him to smell out sediments containing specific bacteria was quite easy. "It smells like sewage and she knows the word 'stinky'."
Based at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in Sydney, Taylor says he and colleague Professor John Barry have examined 82 different bacteria, retrieved from the area identified by the dog.
"When we say life, we're talking about bacteria, single cell primitive life forms, like we have here on Earth. It'd be underground, we'd have to drill down, so these little rovers that are crawling all over the surface would never find it" Tony Taylor,biophysicist.
They discovered they contained 11 characteristics also found in the Mars fossils, including a structure other scientists claimed could only be formed in intense heat.
"They were a perfect match, absolutely perfect. Eleven features out of 11," said Taylor, whose work, crediting Tamarind, was published on Thursday in the "Journal of Microscopy".
"These fossils are four billion years old. They pre-date the fossil record of life here on Earth."
Imaging technique
The bacteria-studying duo developed an imaging technique that allowed them to examine the bacteria at a much higher resolution - and they were delighted with the findings.
The scientists now believe the combined data warrant a manned mission to Mars to retrieve further samples.
"The results indicate very strongly that life was once there and... that life might still be there," Taylor said. "When we say life, we're talking about bacteria, single cell primitive life forms, like we have here on Earth."
"It'd be underground, we'd have to drill down, so these little rovers that are crawling all over the surface would never find it."
Two US-backed rovers are now exploring the red plant and transmitting unprecedented images of the barren landscape, but may achieve little else.
Source:Reuters
Last modified: 30/01/2004 15:30:59
Readers of The Latest Meteorite News as of 27FEB09
(click on world map to enlarge image)
Thank YOU to all that have taken their time to contribute and to read
The Latest Worldwide Meteor/Meteorite News!
Please take your time and let me know your comments (each post has a comment link at the bottom of the post) and if you have any submissions please ask; thank YOU!
-----------------------------------------------
Readers by Country/Count since JAN09:
United States (US)1,239
Canada (CA)128
Germany (DE)123
Hungary (HU)84
United Kingdom (GB)76
Italy (IT)61
Japan (JP)55
France (FR)53
Poland (PL)48
Netherlands (NL)36
Australia (AU)33
Spain (ES)30
Sweden (SE)22
Morocco (MA)22
Israel (IL)21
Switzerland (CH)21
Austria (AT)15
Luxembourg (LU)15
Bolivia (BO)14
Mexico (MX)11
Finland (FI)11
Philippines (PH)11
Russian Federation (RU)10
South Africa (ZA)9
Czech Republic (CZ)8
Malaysia (MY)8
Belgium (BE)7
Venezuela (VE)7
Denmark (DK)6
Croatia (HR)6
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR)6
India (IN)6
Brazil (BR)5
Europe (EU)5
Romania (RO)5
Slovenia (SI)5
Costa Rica (CR)5
New Zealand (NZ)4
Singapore (SG)4
Chile (CL)4
Greece (GR)4
Slovakia (SK)4
Panama (PA)3
Indonesia (ID)3
Portugal (PT)3
Colombia (CO)3
Puerto Rico (PR)2
Norway (NO)2
Peru (PE)2
Taiwan (TW)2
Estonia (EE)1
Lithuania (LT)1
Latvia (LV)1
Argentina (AR)1
Barbados (BB)1
Algeria (DZ)1
Korea, Republic of (KR)1
Egypt (EG)1
Bahrain (BH)1
Cuba (CU)1
Thailand (TH)1
Jamaica (JM)1
Ireland (IE)1
02 March 2009
Tardigrades Space Travel on Meteorites Might Work 2MAR09
Eight-Legged Tardigrades Space Survivor Gives 'Panspermia' New Life 
Senior Science Writer
posted: 16 September 200806:54 am ET
posted: 16 September 200806:54 am ET
The revelation last week that tiny eight-legged animals survived exposure to the harsh environment of space on an Earth-orbiting mission is further support for the idea that simple life forms could travel between planets.
This idea, called panspermia, is not new. It holds that the seeds of life are everywhere, and that microbial life on Earth could have traveled here from Mars or even from another star system, and then evolved into the plethora of species seen today. In essence, we may all be Martians.
In various forms, the panspermia concept was discussed among scientists in the 1700s, again in the 1800s, and then notably when Sir Fed Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe popularized it about 30 years ago. Mainstream scientists often dismissed the hypothesis, however, even into the 1990s.
But new life has been breathed into the idea in the past decade. ...
In various forms, the panspermia concept was discussed among scientists in the 1700s, again in the 1800s, and then notably when Sir Fed Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe popularized it about 30 years ago. Mainstream scientists often dismissed the hypothesis, however, even into the 1990s.
But new life has been breathed into the idea in the past decade. ...
For the full story:
Near Earth Asteroid to Fly By Earth 2MAR09
Space Weather News for March 2, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID FLYBY:
There's no danger of a collision, but newly-discovered asteroid 2009 DD45 will come close enough today when it flies by our planet 72,000 km (0.00048 AU) away. That's only twice the height of a geostationary communications satellite. The asteroid measures 30 to 40 meters across, similar in size to the Tunguska impactor of 1908. Closest approach occurs at approximately 1340 UT (5:40 am PST) on March 2nd. Experienced amateur astronomers may be able to photograph the space rock shining like an 11th magnitude star as it races through the constellations Hydra and Virgo. The timing favors observers in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and east Asia.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates and ephemerides.
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID FLYBY:
There's no danger of a collision, but newly-discovered asteroid 2009 DD45 will come close enough today when it flies by our planet 72,000 km (0.00048 AU) away. That's only twice the height of a geostationary communications satellite. The asteroid measures 30 to 40 meters across, similar in size to the Tunguska impactor of 1908. Closest approach occurs at approximately 1340 UT (5:40 am PST) on March 2nd. Experienced amateur astronomers may be able to photograph the space rock shining like an 11th magnitude star as it races through the constellations Hydra and Virgo. The timing favors observers in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and east Asia.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates and ephemerides.
28 February 2009
Tamdakht, Moroc Meteorite Hunting 27FEB09
Tamdakht, Moroc Meteorite Hunting by Philippe ThomasA meteorite fall occurred near Ouarzazate on December 20th, 2008, specifically around the villages of Tamdakht and Tiguert, located in the mountains northwest of the city. We decided to go there to gather more information on this fall and, eventually, to find some pieces. Departure for Morocco was on Wednesday, February 11th in the afternoon. The road is long, but we arrive in the south of the country on 12 at night, exhausted. Here, a few days of rest are necessary to recover the route and also to enjoy the sun that is so much lacking to us at home. Almost 30 ° C difference ... a pure happiness! We left for Ouarzazate on Monday, February 16th early in the morning. Our Moroccan friend accompanies us, he has toured a lot in the zone of the fall and knows many nomads who live in these mountains. We arrived at the entrance of Ouarzazate in early afternoon and we stop in the first Total gas station to find someone who is waiting for us to guide us to places where stones were found. Our two guides getting into our car and we started. The track which leads in mountains start at the end of a residential area. We see that it is a very used track, it is wide, flat (a real highway) and we can ride rather fast especially in 4x4!... the rest of the story at: http://www.meteoritica.com/tamdakht%20hunting%20trip.html
Photo of Hopper the Meteorite Dog 2MAR09
Photo of Hopper the famous meteorite finding dog with Rob Wesel, West, TX. Hopper found the meteorite in the photo.Photo courtesy of Mike Bandli; Copyright Rob Wesel, Nakhla Dog Meteorites 2009
Meteor Photographed Over North Central California 27FEB09
QT Movie http://www.geocities.com/stange34@sbcglobal.net/v20090227_003016.92.movA 6 second plus Fireball 30 minutes & 17 seconds past midnight PST last night (2/27/09) a georgeous Fireball blazed across the N. Central California Area lasting apprx. 6.5 Seconds.
Photo, video and report by Larry Stange
Yuba City Sentinel
Yuba City Sentinel
Object that fell through roof of Dallas home was part of a tree-mulching machine, police say 27FEB09
http://www.startribune.com/nation/40426837.html
Object that fell through roof of Dallas home was part of a tree-mulching machine, police say
Associated Press
February 27, 2009
DALLAS - Police say a 6-pound chunk of metal that crashed through the roof of a Dallas home was part of a machine that was grinding up an unwanted tree nearby. Sgt. Gil Cerda says: "Mystery solved." So much for the theory it could have been a piece of debris from this month's collision of Russian and U.S. satellites.
Cerda says the metal chunk was a grinding tip of a mulching machine being used by a tree disposal service crew. No one was hurt when it went flying Tuesday. Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther said no charges will be filed against the business because it was an accident.
The satellite debris theory also came up when a fireball streaked across the Texas sky Feb. 15. That turned out to be a meteorite. It also surfaced last week when a piece of metal crashed through a New Jersey warehouse. That was another errant piece of a mulching machine.
Object that fell through roof of Dallas home was part of a tree-mulching machine, police say
Associated Press
February 27, 2009
DALLAS - Police say a 6-pound chunk of metal that crashed through the roof of a Dallas home was part of a machine that was grinding up an unwanted tree nearby. Sgt. Gil Cerda says: "Mystery solved." So much for the theory it could have been a piece of debris from this month's collision of Russian and U.S. satellites.
Cerda says the metal chunk was a grinding tip of a mulching machine being used by a tree disposal service crew. No one was hurt when it went flying Tuesday. Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther said no charges will be filed against the business because it was an accident.
The satellite debris theory also came up when a fireball streaked across the Texas sky Feb. 15. That turned out to be a meteorite. It also surfaced last week when a piece of metal crashed through a New Jersey warehouse. That was another errant piece of a mulching machine.
27 February 2009
West, TX-Meteorite hunters are scouring north McLennan County, frustrating some landowners
Meteorite hunters are scouring north McLennan County, frustrating some landowners
Thursday, February 26, 2009
By Ken Sury
Tribune-Herald staff writer
WEST — Meteorite hunters have descended in droves to the countryside surrounding this farming community, searching for the elusive pieces from a fireball that flared across the daytime sky over Central Texas and then broke apart.
But while the fireball and its accompanying sonic boom Feb. 15 were spectacular, West residents say they’ve got better things to do than hunt for the thousands of fragments that litter the land and might not even be on their property.
Spring planting is a focus for the farmers now. That meteorite hunters from across the country are asking to traipse across their fields looking for stones the size of a pecan or smaller at a crucial time for planting has more than a few farmers and ranchers perturbed. In some cases, people didn’t ask and trespassed.
... continued story, video, and photos:
http://www.wacotrib.com/
Thursday, February 26, 2009
By Ken Sury
Tribune-Herald staff writer
WEST — Meteorite hunters have descended in droves to the countryside surrounding this farming community, searching for the elusive pieces from a fireball that flared across the daytime sky over Central Texas and then broke apart.
But while the fireball and its accompanying sonic boom Feb. 15 were spectacular, West residents say they’ve got better things to do than hunt for the thousands of fragments that litter the land and might not even be on their property.
Spring planting is a focus for the farmers now. That meteorite hunters from across the country are asking to traipse across their fields looking for stones the size of a pecan or smaller at a crucial time for planting has more than a few farmers and ranchers perturbed. In some cases, people didn’t ask and trespassed.
... continued story, video, and photos:
http://www.wacotrib.com/
Tamdakht meteorite fall in Morocco is now officially named 27FEB09
The Tamdakht meteorite fall in Morocco is now officially named:
http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/index.php?code=48691
http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/index.php?code=48691
Surfside, Massachusetts Fireball 20FEB09 posted 27FEB09
http://www.ack.net/022609fireball.html
"Fireball" sighting maybe a meteorite
By Eliot Baker
The Inquirer and Mirror (Nantucket, Massachusetts)
February 26, 2009
Island residents are being urged by Maria Mitchell Association director of astronomy, Vladimir Strelnitski, to keep their eyes open for meteorites around Surfside and the south shore in the coming days following an unconfirmed sighting of a fireball blazing across the early-morning sky Friday, Feb. 20 at 4:30 a.m.
Terry Galschneider was up early watching television when she said a dramatic orange fireball "lit up the sky" for five seconds. She said the fireball was too large and bright to have been a shooting star or a helicopter. Her full description to Strelnitski left him to "not exclude that it fell in the ocean, but maybe even on land."The object's brightness suggests it would be relatively close to Galschneider, although its lack of sound made that even less possible to tell for certain. He said it was highly unlikely to have been debris from colliding satellites.The sighting was not confirmed by either Nantucket airport officials orby the police, and no other reports of fiery objects in the sky Friday in Massachusetts have been made to NASA, or to astronomy departments at Boston University, the University Massachusetts at Lowell, or the American Meteor Society. Other islanders who may have spotted the fireball are encouraged to contact Strelnitski at the Maria Mitchell Association at +1(508) 228-5273 .
Though unlikely, Strelnitski said discovering a meteorite - or part of one - on Nantucket would be unprecedented and could yield important information to scientists. People around Surfside especially are encouraged to look for unusual small craters with valleys on the surface with strange objects inside. Meteors can be a piece of metal, a greenish or grayish piece of stone, or a black piece of organic matter that resembles coal called carbonatious condrite, the rarest of all meteorites.
"Fireball" sighting maybe a meteorite
By Eliot Baker
The Inquirer and Mirror (Nantucket, Massachusetts)
February 26, 2009
Island residents are being urged by Maria Mitchell Association director of astronomy, Vladimir Strelnitski, to keep their eyes open for meteorites around Surfside and the south shore in the coming days following an unconfirmed sighting of a fireball blazing across the early-morning sky Friday, Feb. 20 at 4:30 a.m.
Terry Galschneider was up early watching television when she said a dramatic orange fireball "lit up the sky" for five seconds. She said the fireball was too large and bright to have been a shooting star or a helicopter. Her full description to Strelnitski left him to "not exclude that it fell in the ocean, but maybe even on land."The object's brightness suggests it would be relatively close to Galschneider, although its lack of sound made that even less possible to tell for certain. He said it was highly unlikely to have been debris from colliding satellites.The sighting was not confirmed by either Nantucket airport officials orby the police, and no other reports of fiery objects in the sky Friday in Massachusetts have been made to NASA, or to astronomy departments at Boston University, the University Massachusetts at Lowell, or the American Meteor Society. Other islanders who may have spotted the fireball are encouraged to contact Strelnitski at the Maria Mitchell Association at +1(508) 228-5273 .
Though unlikely, Strelnitski said discovering a meteorite - or part of one - on Nantucket would be unprecedented and could yield important information to scientists. People around Surfside especially are encouraged to look for unusual small craters with valleys on the surface with strange objects inside. Meteors can be a piece of metal, a greenish or grayish piece of stone, or a black piece of organic matter that resembles coal called carbonatious condrite, the rarest of all meteorites.
Another meteor impact coincides with large-scale volcanic eruptions -Planet Earth 27FEB09
http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=332
Another meteor impact coincides with large-scale volcanic eruptions
---Planet Earth online 23 February 2009
Scientists have long debated the cause of the dinosaurs' extinction about 65 million years ago. The remnants of a large volcanic eruption in the Faroe Islands. These eruptions can go on for millions of years. Around this time a giant meteorite struck the Gulf of Mexico. But the extinction also seems to coincide with massive and long-lasting volcanic eruptions in India known as the Deccan Traps. So which event was responsible? And are these phenomena linked?
New research now shows that this combination of meteorite impact andlarge-scale volcanic activity - known as flood basalt eruptions - is not unique. An international team of researchers looked at a 30-million-year-old meteorite crater in Belarus called Logoisk. They found that this too coincided with volcanic eruptions further south which covered Yemen and Ethiopia with basalt rock. These events are similar to those that occurred 65 million years ago, but on a much smaller scale. The scientists suggest such coincidences may be more common than previously thought. Dr Sarah Sherlock from the Open University and lead author of the paper, says, 'If you have a flood basalt then people wonder if there's also an impact. ''There will be, almost certainly,' she added. According to the paper, a meteorite will strike the Earth and leave a crater the size of Logoisk on average once every 1.5 million years. Flood volcanic eruptions occur over several million years, so a Logoisk-sized crater is likely to occur during each of the 16 identified periods of flood volcanism on Earth in the last 360 million years. However, researchers do not think there is a causal link between flood volcanism and meteorite impact.'There is simply no geological evidence to link the two,' says Sherlock. To determine the precise age of the Logoisk crater the researchers used argon dating. 'Argon dating is very versatile.' said Sherlock. 'It's the only technique that can be used to date both [impacts and flood volcanism].' Samples of material from the crater were gradually heated using an infrared laser, causing the release of argon gas. The ratio of two isotopes of argon released in the gas gives an accurate indication ofthe age of the sample. Using this technique, the researchers showed that the two events occurred simultaneously.
One question raised by the results was why the meteorite impact and flood volcanism 65 million years ago wiped out much of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, but the similar events 30 million years ago did not. According to Sherlock, it was down to the size of the events.'These coincidences in Earth's history are not as rare as people think,but in order to actually do significant damage to the environment they have to be really, really big.' Sherlock added. Together, the 65-million-year-old Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico and volcanic eruptions that produced the Deccan Traps eruption 65 million years ago released 8000 gigatonnes (Gt) of sulfur dioxide, causing global environmental damage. By comparison the Logoisk and Afro-Arabian events released only 30Gt - insufficient to cause change on a global scale.
The research is published in the Journal of the Geological Society, London.
Another meteor impact coincides with large-scale volcanic eruptions
---Planet Earth online 23 February 2009
Scientists have long debated the cause of the dinosaurs' extinction about 65 million years ago. The remnants of a large volcanic eruption in the Faroe Islands. These eruptions can go on for millions of years. Around this time a giant meteorite struck the Gulf of Mexico. But the extinction also seems to coincide with massive and long-lasting volcanic eruptions in India known as the Deccan Traps. So which event was responsible? And are these phenomena linked?
New research now shows that this combination of meteorite impact andlarge-scale volcanic activity - known as flood basalt eruptions - is not unique. An international team of researchers looked at a 30-million-year-old meteorite crater in Belarus called Logoisk. They found that this too coincided with volcanic eruptions further south which covered Yemen and Ethiopia with basalt rock. These events are similar to those that occurred 65 million years ago, but on a much smaller scale. The scientists suggest such coincidences may be more common than previously thought. Dr Sarah Sherlock from the Open University and lead author of the paper, says, 'If you have a flood basalt then people wonder if there's also an impact. ''There will be, almost certainly,' she added. According to the paper, a meteorite will strike the Earth and leave a crater the size of Logoisk on average once every 1.5 million years. Flood volcanic eruptions occur over several million years, so a Logoisk-sized crater is likely to occur during each of the 16 identified periods of flood volcanism on Earth in the last 360 million years. However, researchers do not think there is a causal link between flood volcanism and meteorite impact.'There is simply no geological evidence to link the two,' says Sherlock. To determine the precise age of the Logoisk crater the researchers used argon dating. 'Argon dating is very versatile.' said Sherlock. 'It's the only technique that can be used to date both [impacts and flood volcanism].' Samples of material from the crater were gradually heated using an infrared laser, causing the release of argon gas. The ratio of two isotopes of argon released in the gas gives an accurate indication ofthe age of the sample. Using this technique, the researchers showed that the two events occurred simultaneously.
One question raised by the results was why the meteorite impact and flood volcanism 65 million years ago wiped out much of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, but the similar events 30 million years ago did not. According to Sherlock, it was down to the size of the events.'These coincidences in Earth's history are not as rare as people think,but in order to actually do significant damage to the environment they have to be really, really big.' Sherlock added. Together, the 65-million-year-old Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico and volcanic eruptions that produced the Deccan Traps eruption 65 million years ago released 8000 gigatonnes (Gt) of sulfur dioxide, causing global environmental damage. By comparison the Logoisk and Afro-Arabian events released only 30Gt - insufficient to cause change on a global scale.
The research is published in the Journal of the Geological Society, London.
26 February 2009
Comet Lulin visits inner Solar System 26FEB09
http://astronomynow.com/090223CometLulinvisitsinnerSolarSystem.html
Comet Lulin visits inner Solar System
BY DR EMILY BALDWIN
ASTRONOMY NOW
23 February, 2009
On 24 February Comet Lulin will make its first visit to the inner Solar System, streaking past the Earth at a distance of 38 million miles, or 160 times further than the Moon. Comet Lulin, formally known as C/2007 N3, was discovered last year byastronomers at Taiwan's Lulin Observatory. Nicknamed the "green comet", Lulin's atmosphere contains poisonous cyanogen and diatomic carbongases. Researchers at the University of Leicester will be using NASA's Swift satellite to monitor the comet in X-ray, ultraviolet and optical light as it closes in on the Earth this week.
"The wonderful ease of scheduling of Swift and its joint UV and X-raycapability make Swift the observatory of choice for observations like these," says Dr Julian Osborne, leader of the Swift project at Leicester. The University of Leicester played a major role in developing Swift's X-Ray Telescope.
[Image]
This image of Comet Lulin taken 28 Jan merges data acquired by Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (blue and green) and X-Ray Telescope (red). At the time of the observation, the comet was 99.5 million milesfrom Earth and 115.3 million miles from the Sun. Image: Univ. of Leicester/NASA/Swift/Carter et al. Comets are thought to represent some of the most pristine ingredients ofthe Solar System. They are made up of dust, gas and ice, and as they approach the Sun, the frozen components sublime and stream out in tails. Swift observations of the comet on 28 January revealed that it is certainly active. "The UVOT data show that Lulin was shedding nearly 800 gallons of water each second," says team member Dennis Bodewits, a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,which is enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in less than 15 minutes. Although Swift can't see water directly, ultraviolet light from the Sunquickly breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl (OH) molecules, the latter of which Swift's Ultraviolet/OpticalTelescopes (UVOT) can detect. "This gives us a unique view into the types and quantities of gas a comet produces," Bodewits explains. The images taken so far reveal a hydroxyl cloud spanning a distance greater than the distance between Earth and the Moon, and a tail streaming off at an angle. Solar radiation pushes the icy grains awayfrom the comet, and as they gradually evaporate, they create a thin tail of hydroxyl molecules. Farther from the comet, even the hydroxyl molecule succumbs to solar ultraviolet radiation, breaking into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen atoms."The solar wind - a fast-moving stream of particles from the Sun -interacts with the comet's broader cloud of atoms," says Stefan Immler, also at Goddard. "This causes the solar wind to light up with X-rays,and that's what Swift's XRT sees." This interaction, called charge exchange, results in X-rays from most comets when they pass within about three times Earth's distance from the Sun. Because Lulin is so active and is losing a lot of gas, its X-ray emitting region extends in a largecloud far sunward of the comet. The team hope that the forthcoming observations of Lulin will reveal more on the comet's chemistry andenable scientists to build up a three-dimensional picture of the cometduring its maiden voyage through the Solar System.Comet Lulin will be visible to the naked eye, and for most locations inthe Northern Hemisphere will be easiest to spot after midnight when itis high in the sky. In small telescopes it will appear as a dim fuzzy"star" - brighter in the centre and more diffuse around the edges. It will fade from view by mid-March.
Comet Lulin visits inner Solar System
BY DR EMILY BALDWIN
ASTRONOMY NOW
23 February, 2009
On 24 February Comet Lulin will make its first visit to the inner Solar System, streaking past the Earth at a distance of 38 million miles, or 160 times further than the Moon. Comet Lulin, formally known as C/2007 N3, was discovered last year byastronomers at Taiwan's Lulin Observatory. Nicknamed the "green comet", Lulin's atmosphere contains poisonous cyanogen and diatomic carbongases. Researchers at the University of Leicester will be using NASA's Swift satellite to monitor the comet in X-ray, ultraviolet and optical light as it closes in on the Earth this week.
"The wonderful ease of scheduling of Swift and its joint UV and X-raycapability make Swift the observatory of choice for observations like these," says Dr Julian Osborne, leader of the Swift project at Leicester. The University of Leicester played a major role in developing Swift's X-Ray Telescope.
[Image]
This image of Comet Lulin taken 28 Jan merges data acquired by Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (blue and green) and X-Ray Telescope (red). At the time of the observation, the comet was 99.5 million milesfrom Earth and 115.3 million miles from the Sun. Image: Univ. of Leicester/NASA/Swift/Carter et al. Comets are thought to represent some of the most pristine ingredients ofthe Solar System. They are made up of dust, gas and ice, and as they approach the Sun, the frozen components sublime and stream out in tails. Swift observations of the comet on 28 January revealed that it is certainly active. "The UVOT data show that Lulin was shedding nearly 800 gallons of water each second," says team member Dennis Bodewits, a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,which is enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in less than 15 minutes. Although Swift can't see water directly, ultraviolet light from the Sunquickly breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl (OH) molecules, the latter of which Swift's Ultraviolet/OpticalTelescopes (UVOT) can detect. "This gives us a unique view into the types and quantities of gas a comet produces," Bodewits explains. The images taken so far reveal a hydroxyl cloud spanning a distance greater than the distance between Earth and the Moon, and a tail streaming off at an angle. Solar radiation pushes the icy grains awayfrom the comet, and as they gradually evaporate, they create a thin tail of hydroxyl molecules. Farther from the comet, even the hydroxyl molecule succumbs to solar ultraviolet radiation, breaking into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen atoms."The solar wind - a fast-moving stream of particles from the Sun -interacts with the comet's broader cloud of atoms," says Stefan Immler, also at Goddard. "This causes the solar wind to light up with X-rays,and that's what Swift's XRT sees." This interaction, called charge exchange, results in X-rays from most comets when they pass within about three times Earth's distance from the Sun. Because Lulin is so active and is losing a lot of gas, its X-ray emitting region extends in a largecloud far sunward of the comet. The team hope that the forthcoming observations of Lulin will reveal more on the comet's chemistry andenable scientists to build up a three-dimensional picture of the cometduring its maiden voyage through the Solar System.Comet Lulin will be visible to the naked eye, and for most locations inthe Northern Hemisphere will be easiest to spot after midnight when itis high in the sky. In small telescopes it will appear as a dim fuzzy"star" - brighter in the centre and more diffuse around the edges. It will fade from view by mid-March.
Norton County, KS fall 18FEB1948 more than 60 years ago 26FEB09
La Paz (right) directing recovery of the massive Norton County, Kansas meteorite, 1948.
University of New Mexico collection
NORTON COUNTY, Kansas, USA - Witnessed Fall - 18FEB1948 --61 years ago
--------------------------
After a brilliant fireball and a tremendous noise, a huge shower of stones fell over a large area of Norton County, Kansas, and Furnas County, Nebraska. This meteorite, which fell on 18 February 1948, 16:56hrs, was named Norton County, and classified as an Achondrite, Ca-poor, Aubrite, fragmental breccia. Aubrites are quite rare and this is the largest known in historical times. The main mass weighing more than 1070 kg is the center of the meteorite display at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Norton County is a very historical and scientifically valuable meteorite and almost impossible to obtain as nearly all of the material is in the University of New Mexico collection.
Catalogue of Meteorites by Grady, M. , 2000
25 February 2009
'Dinosaur-killing' impact did not start global wildfires 25FEB09
Published online 23 February 2009 Nature doi:10.1038/news.2009.112 Corrected online:
24 February 2009
NATURE NEWS
'Dinosaur-killing' impact did not start global wildfires
by Philip Ball
Burnt oil and gas, not vegetation, may have caused the soot layer at the end of the Cretaceous period.
The impact of a huge asteroid or comet at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago is generally held responsible for the sudden demise of 60–80% of all species on Earth. But new results challenge the common idea that the extinctions were partly caused by global wildfires triggered by the violent impact.
... full story:
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090223/full/news.2009.112.html
24 February 2009
NATURE NEWS
'Dinosaur-killing' impact did not start global wildfires
by Philip Ball
Burnt oil and gas, not vegetation, may have caused the soot layer at the end of the Cretaceous period.
The impact of a huge asteroid or comet at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago is generally held responsible for the sudden demise of 60–80% of all species on Earth. But new results challenge the common idea that the extinctions were partly caused by global wildfires triggered by the violent impact.
... full story:
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090223/full/news.2009.112.html
24 February 2009
West, TX meteorite classified by Dr. Alan Rubin 22FEB09
Dr. Alan Rubin, UCLA, has analyzed the West, TX meteorite as an L6 chondrite:
W0, S3, L6 olivine
Fa: 24.2±0.2 (n=12)low-Ca pyx Fs20.5±0.7 Wo1.6±0.2 (n=12)
kamacite has an average composition of Fe 93.1 Ni 5.8 Co 0.83 (n=4) taenite has an average composition of Fe 69.6 Ni 30.3 Co 0.30 (n=9) Taenite is much more abundant than kamacite. Many plagioclase grains exceed 50 µm in size. Some metal grains have irregular grains of troilite inside them. Metallic Cu is present in metal grains. There are some thin metal- and sulfide-bearing shock veins. The rock exhibits signficant silicate darkening.
The "Ash Creek" (Doug Dawn`s proposed name for the meteorite) meteorite sample was collected by Doug Dawn, Dima, Rob McCafferty, and Sergey and sent to Dr. Rubin for analysis.
The data from Dr. Rubin`s classification analysis will be sent to the Meteorite NOMCOM for approval and a final naming will be approved.
Record timing for meteorite recovery and analysis; congratulations to all that worked on this!!!
W0, S3, L6 olivine
Fa: 24.2±0.2 (n=12)low-Ca pyx Fs20.5±0.7 Wo1.6±0.2 (n=12)
kamacite has an average composition of Fe 93.1 Ni 5.8 Co 0.83 (n=4) taenite has an average composition of Fe 69.6 Ni 30.3 Co 0.30 (n=9) Taenite is much more abundant than kamacite. Many plagioclase grains exceed 50 µm in size. Some metal grains have irregular grains of troilite inside them. Metallic Cu is present in metal grains. There are some thin metal- and sulfide-bearing shock veins. The rock exhibits signficant silicate darkening.
The "Ash Creek" (Doug Dawn`s proposed name for the meteorite) meteorite sample was collected by Doug Dawn, Dima, Rob McCafferty, and Sergey and sent to Dr. Rubin for analysis.
The data from Dr. Rubin`s classification analysis will be sent to the Meteorite NOMCOM for approval and a final naming will be approved.
Record timing for meteorite recovery and analysis; congratulations to all that worked on this!!!
Amateur astronomer finds meteorites near Waco 22FEB09
Update on West, Tx meteorite:
Amateur astronomer finds meteorites near Waco
Updated: 2/22/2009 7:08 PM
By: Veronica Castelo
NEWS 8 Austin
..."Now there's actual physical proof that it was a meteor. Amateur astronomer Doug Dawn and his team say they were able to find meteorites. Dawn's team analyzed the video footage shot by News 8 photographer Eddie Garcia. Dawn said there was a lot of information available in the film and it helped with calculations of where the material was coming from. "...
For the whole story and TV video:
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=232800&SecID=2
Amateur astronomer finds meteorites near Waco
Updated: 2/22/2009 7:08 PM
By: Veronica Castelo
NEWS 8 Austin
..."Now there's actual physical proof that it was a meteor. Amateur astronomer Doug Dawn and his team say they were able to find meteorites. Dawn's team analyzed the video footage shot by News 8 photographer Eddie Garcia. Dawn said there was a lot of information available in the film and it helped with calculations of where the material was coming from. "...
For the whole story and TV video:
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=232800&SecID=2
22 February 2009
Hopper the Dog Finds Meteorite- West, TX 21FEB09
There is indeed a meteorite finding dog! - Hopper the Dog*
Here's the story.
On Friday Sonny, Steve Arnold and I (Ruben Garcia) drove into the strewnfield bright and early and immediately started knocking on doors to try to gain permission to hunt. Upon walking up to a particular house Sonny spotted a meteorite on the porch (about 70-90 grams) he picked it up, and laid it backdown. "Ruben, did you see that fully crusted meteorite on the porch?" He Said. I couldn't believe it. He was right! Right there on the porch but no one was home...what to do? Since Sonny assured me that he wasn't going to buy meteorites when he could find them I decided to track down the owner and try to buy the specimen. I got the owners work phone number from a neighbor and called. After introducing myself and explaining what I was in town for, I told the owner that there was a meteorite on their porch. "What, you mean that black rock that the dog, Hopper, brought up and dropped on the porch?" "Yes, that one" I said. Needless to say, I drove down and did a nice video interview with the owner holding the space rock and recalling the tale.
Written by: Ruben Garcia
Here's the story.
On Friday Sonny, Steve Arnold and I (Ruben Garcia) drove into the strewnfield bright and early and immediately started knocking on doors to try to gain permission to hunt. Upon walking up to a particular house Sonny spotted a meteorite on the porch (about 70-90 grams) he picked it up, and laid it backdown. "Ruben, did you see that fully crusted meteorite on the porch?" He Said. I couldn't believe it. He was right! Right there on the porch but no one was home...what to do? Since Sonny assured me that he wasn't going to buy meteorites when he could find them I decided to track down the owner and try to buy the specimen. I got the owners work phone number from a neighbor and called. After introducing myself and explaining what I was in town for, I told the owner that there was a meteorite on their porch. "What, you mean that black rock that the dog, Hopper, brought up and dropped on the porch?" "Yes, that one" I said. Needless to say, I drove down and did a nice video interview with the owner holding the space rock and recalling the tale.
Written by: Ruben Garcia
First Tracked Rock Recovered in Sudan (Asteroid 2008 TC3) 21FEB09
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16635-first-tracked-space-rock-recovered-after-impact
First tracked space rock recovered after impact-0246 GMT on 7 October-Sudan (Asteroid 2008 TC3)
by David Shiga
New Scientist
February 19, 2009
The discovery of meteorites from an asteroid that exploded over Sudan in October completes an astronomical trifecta. For the first time, scientists have detected a space rock ahead of a collision with Earth, watched it streak through the atmosphere, and then recovered pieces of it. Analysis of the meteorites could shed light on conditions in the early solar system more than 4 billion years ago. When the asteroid, called 2008 TC3, was discovered on 6 October last year, it was just 20 hours away from hitting Earth. Though the warning period was short, it was the first time a space rock had been found before it impacted the planet. Orbital calculations predicted the object would plunge into the atmosphere above Sudan at 0246 GMT on 7 October, and it arrived right ontime. Observations suggested it was no more than 5 metres across, too small to survive intact all the way to the ground and cause damage. The brilliant fireball it made as it descended through the atmosphere was seen far in the distance by the crew of a KLM airliner, and was observed by various satellites, including a weather satellite called Meteosat-8. Now, a team of meteorite hunters has found fragments of the object. The meteorites are a unique group in that they come from an object seen hurtling through space before its plunge into Earth's atmosphere.
Numerous fragments
Students from the University of Khartoum, led by Dr Muawia Shaddad, found the first fragments using data provided by NASA to home in onwhere fragments were likely to be found. Scientists involved with the discovery, including Peter Jenniskens ofthe SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, have reportedly submitted a study about the find to a scientific journal, and have not responded to interview requests. But Lindley Johnson, head of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program office atthe agency's headquarters in Washington, DC, reported the find on Mondayin Vienna, at a United Nations meeting discussing near-Earth object (NEO) impacts. <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/COPUOS/stsc/2009/index.html>
An image of the first fragment found is included in the slides from Johnson's presentation (pdf) <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/pres/stsc2009/tech-25.pdf> (see slide 19).
Donald Yeomans, who manages NASA's efforts to find and track NEOs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, confirmed that"quite a few" fragments have been found but declined to discuss them further.
Weak material?
Before the fragments were found, meteorite expert Peter Brown of the University of Western Ontario in Canada said the asteroid was likely made of relatively weak material, given that 2008 TC3 broke up unusually quickly once it hit the atmosphere, exploding about 37 kilometres above ground. Another object known to have broken up at about this height scattered fragments over Tagish Lake in Canada in 2000. The Tagish Lake meteorites turned out to be made of a very crumbly material, and fall into a class of meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, which have been modified little by heat or other processes since the solar system formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. "I would caution making direct compositional comparisons [with the Tagish Lake meteorites], but it does certainly underscore the global weakness of [2008 TC3]," Brown said in comments posted on the JPL website in November. He added that observations of the rock's quick breakup "all but rule out" a composition rich in iron. <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/2008tc3.html>
Point of origin
When the analysis of these rock fragments does come out, what is it likely to tell us? Meteorites in general provide a valuable record of conditions in the early solar system, such as temperature and chemical composition. And the 2008 TC3 meteorites could be especially illuminating because the parent object was observed in space before the breakup, allowing scientists to calculate its former orbit around the Sun. This provides precious information connecting the meteorites to their place of origin in the solar system. For most other meteorites, such calculations involve a lot of guesswork. Meteorites had previously been recovered after about 10 "fireball" events, where parent space rocks were observed streaking through the sky. But in those cases, scientists had to try to reconstruct the object's orbit based on its path through the atmosphere. "It's often very difficult to get from a streak in the sky to what theorbit was," says Allan Treiman of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Tucson, Arizona. "But if they've got its location before it hit the atmosphere, they're far better off - that's really wonderful."
First tracked space rock recovered after impact-0246 GMT on 7 October-Sudan (Asteroid 2008 TC3)
by David Shiga
New Scientist
February 19, 2009
The discovery of meteorites from an asteroid that exploded over Sudan in October completes an astronomical trifecta. For the first time, scientists have detected a space rock ahead of a collision with Earth, watched it streak through the atmosphere, and then recovered pieces of it. Analysis of the meteorites could shed light on conditions in the early solar system more than 4 billion years ago. When the asteroid, called 2008 TC3, was discovered on 6 October last year, it was just 20 hours away from hitting Earth. Though the warning period was short, it was the first time a space rock had been found before it impacted the planet. Orbital calculations predicted the object would plunge into the atmosphere above Sudan at 0246 GMT on 7 October, and it arrived right ontime. Observations suggested it was no more than 5 metres across, too small to survive intact all the way to the ground and cause damage. The brilliant fireball it made as it descended through the atmosphere was seen far in the distance by the crew of a KLM airliner, and was observed by various satellites, including a weather satellite called Meteosat-8. Now, a team of meteorite hunters has found fragments of the object. The meteorites are a unique group in that they come from an object seen hurtling through space before its plunge into Earth's atmosphere.
Numerous fragments
Students from the University of Khartoum, led by Dr Muawia Shaddad, found the first fragments using data provided by NASA to home in onwhere fragments were likely to be found. Scientists involved with the discovery, including Peter Jenniskens ofthe SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, have reportedly submitted a study about the find to a scientific journal, and have not responded to interview requests. But Lindley Johnson, head of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program office atthe agency's headquarters in Washington, DC, reported the find on Mondayin Vienna, at a United Nations meeting discussing near-Earth object (NEO) impacts. <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/COPUOS/stsc/2009/index.html>
An image of the first fragment found is included in the slides from Johnson's presentation (pdf) <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/pres/stsc2009/tech-25.pdf> (see slide 19).
Donald Yeomans, who manages NASA's efforts to find and track NEOs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, confirmed that"quite a few" fragments have been found but declined to discuss them further.
Weak material?
Before the fragments were found, meteorite expert Peter Brown of the University of Western Ontario in Canada said the asteroid was likely made of relatively weak material, given that 2008 TC3 broke up unusually quickly once it hit the atmosphere, exploding about 37 kilometres above ground. Another object known to have broken up at about this height scattered fragments over Tagish Lake in Canada in 2000. The Tagish Lake meteorites turned out to be made of a very crumbly material, and fall into a class of meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, which have been modified little by heat or other processes since the solar system formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. "I would caution making direct compositional comparisons [with the Tagish Lake meteorites], but it does certainly underscore the global weakness of [2008 TC3]," Brown said in comments posted on the JPL website in November. He added that observations of the rock's quick breakup "all but rule out" a composition rich in iron. <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/2008tc3.html>
Point of origin
When the analysis of these rock fragments does come out, what is it likely to tell us? Meteorites in general provide a valuable record of conditions in the early solar system, such as temperature and chemical composition. And the 2008 TC3 meteorites could be especially illuminating because the parent object was observed in space before the breakup, allowing scientists to calculate its former orbit around the Sun. This provides precious information connecting the meteorites to their place of origin in the solar system. For most other meteorites, such calculations involve a lot of guesswork. Meteorites had previously been recovered after about 10 "fireball" events, where parent space rocks were observed streaking through the sky. But in those cases, scientists had to try to reconstruct the object's orbit based on its path through the atmosphere. "It's often very difficult to get from a streak in the sky to what theorbit was," says Allan Treiman of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Tucson, Arizona. "But if they've got its location before it hit the atmosphere, they're far better off - that's really wonderful."
West, TX Meteorite Fall Report 21FE09
Hello from Sunny Texas, under clear and starry-eyed skies at the moment, A few stones were found right at the time of the fall, however, they were not definitively identified as meteorites - though that was the suspicion and they were saved.
We (Doug Dawn, Dmitry Sadilenko, Sergey Petukov) drove across the country and estimated the location of the strewn field within 48 hours of the event. With a bit of tenacity, scarcely four hours after the second day, thanks to the help of some Texas-sized hospitality, we arrived in the strewn field and found our first couple of stones and I had the distinct pleasure of shaking the finders hand and removing any lingering doubts in his mind that he had meteorites fresh from Heaven's farm. After the initial success, my good friend and asteroid hunter, Rob Matson of Los Angeles, joined up with the team. We have found some stones, but more are being found by others, and we really expect larger masses to be found, though hard work in the field definitely gets you wondering if just because such a meteoritical spectacle drops one stone, should it drop the thousands we keep expecting to see? The TKW is rapidly evolving, but the area is being hit quite hard by hunters already. This doesn't seem to be a dense fall, and some areas are very easy to search, though bramble in other areas effectively keeps those off limits. All land is private and most families keep their gun collections well oiled. In our case, the big-hearts of the landowners have humbled easily as much as the witness reports of the bolide's fragmenting itself. This is at odds with some other reports, only because residents of the area treasure their privacy and were completely overwhelmed by the wave of treasure hunters that descended. We almost lost our permission to hunt when they believed that we were somehow responsible for several meteorite hunters showing up with a news crews. Besides being quite busy, I promised to respect the anonymity of our hosts as a condition of our search, and this evening we reaped the benefits of a delicious home-cooked dinner prepared by the caring hands of our hosts at their dinner table. There is a great Texas steakhouse on I-35 which adds to the flavor for anyone wanting to experience Texas culture, cowboys and pretty cowgirls from West, TX. It has been an incredible last few days, which started by being the first to walk in a virgin strewn field, though my mother had some problems (she seems better now) that have somewhat muted what will undoubtedly be some of the most memorable moments of my life. It is way past bedtime and I will post more tomorrow. The meteorite itself is moderately to highly shocked and has a very bright, light, interior and veins of troilite and nodules of metal, and the majority of stones found are fully fusion crusted. More on the classification on Saturday. We certainly were not in a mass-laden portion of the strewn field, other hunters please take note; more likely just a place where a minor fragmentation impacted. In any case, we are committed to getting the science done so everyone else can rest assured that we have already gladly provided the mass requirements necessary for this honor. All in all, a very humbling experience for many reasons. To pick up a piece of a falling star and I thought, detect a faint sulfurous odor. It seems a dog even caught the scent of a meteorite and laid it down on the owners porch!
Best wishes and clear skies, Doug
Written by: Doug Dawn posted to the MetList- Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
We (Doug Dawn, Dmitry Sadilenko, Sergey Petukov) drove across the country and estimated the location of the strewn field within 48 hours of the event. With a bit of tenacity, scarcely four hours after the second day, thanks to the help of some Texas-sized hospitality, we arrived in the strewn field and found our first couple of stones and I had the distinct pleasure of shaking the finders hand and removing any lingering doubts in his mind that he had meteorites fresh from Heaven's farm. After the initial success, my good friend and asteroid hunter, Rob Matson of Los Angeles, joined up with the team. We have found some stones, but more are being found by others, and we really expect larger masses to be found, though hard work in the field definitely gets you wondering if just because such a meteoritical spectacle drops one stone, should it drop the thousands we keep expecting to see? The TKW is rapidly evolving, but the area is being hit quite hard by hunters already. This doesn't seem to be a dense fall, and some areas are very easy to search, though bramble in other areas effectively keeps those off limits. All land is private and most families keep their gun collections well oiled. In our case, the big-hearts of the landowners have humbled easily as much as the witness reports of the bolide's fragmenting itself. This is at odds with some other reports, only because residents of the area treasure their privacy and were completely overwhelmed by the wave of treasure hunters that descended. We almost lost our permission to hunt when they believed that we were somehow responsible for several meteorite hunters showing up with a news crews. Besides being quite busy, I promised to respect the anonymity of our hosts as a condition of our search, and this evening we reaped the benefits of a delicious home-cooked dinner prepared by the caring hands of our hosts at their dinner table. There is a great Texas steakhouse on I-35 which adds to the flavor for anyone wanting to experience Texas culture, cowboys and pretty cowgirls from West, TX. It has been an incredible last few days, which started by being the first to walk in a virgin strewn field, though my mother had some problems (she seems better now) that have somewhat muted what will undoubtedly be some of the most memorable moments of my life. It is way past bedtime and I will post more tomorrow. The meteorite itself is moderately to highly shocked and has a very bright, light, interior and veins of troilite and nodules of metal, and the majority of stones found are fully fusion crusted. More on the classification on Saturday. We certainly were not in a mass-laden portion of the strewn field, other hunters please take note; more likely just a place where a minor fragmentation impacted. In any case, we are committed to getting the science done so everyone else can rest assured that we have already gladly provided the mass requirements necessary for this honor. All in all, a very humbling experience for many reasons. To pick up a piece of a falling star and I thought, detect a faint sulfurous odor. It seems a dog even caught the scent of a meteorite and laid it down on the owners porch!
Best wishes and clear skies, Doug
Written by: Doug Dawn posted to the MetList- Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
20 February 2009
Mike Farmer`s Team Finds Three More Today 19FEB09
West, Texas Meteorite found by (c) Michael Farmer 2009I just spoke with Mike Farmer on the telephone and they have found three more meteorites today. He said that the area is mostly farm and pasture land making it not the most idea for hunting conditions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)