[meteorite-list] Discovery May Be Saskatchewan's Largest Meteorite

From: Tettenborn <tett_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:52:07 2004
Message-ID: <001701c23e87$22c83b50$238fb7d8_at_tett>

Darn, my 0.9 gram Red Deer Hill micromount ain't so rare any more. Oh well,
at least it is in Canadian hands so not too much will get past the border.

Cheers,

Mike Tettenborn
Owen Sound, Ontario

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Baalke" <baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 10:45 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Discovery May Be Saskatchewan's Largest Meteorite


>
>
>
http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/news/story.asp?id={1D50AB85-921E-4460-AB26-1
0235A1A9C7B}
>
> Discovery May Be Saskatchewan's Largest Meteorite
> Scott Foster
> The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon - Canada)
> August 06, 2002
>
> REGINA -- Scientists have discovered what could be Saskatchewan's largest
known
> meteorite.
>
> Between 40 and 50 years ago, a fireball of cosmic rock created a sonic
boom as
> it pierced the Earth's atmosphere and crashed just south of Prince Albert,
said
> Martin Beech, an astronomy professor at the University of Regina.
>
> The discovery was made after Beech and Brent Shelest, a geology student
> at the University of Regina, unearthed details of 15 new meteorite
fragments
> recovered by farmers in the Red Deer Hill area. The isolated fragment
> findings remained unreported for years. But that changed when area
> residents became aware of the Prairie Meteorite Search project, a
meteorite
> recovery effort that has Shelest on a summer quest in search of "odd
rocks."
>
> "All of a sudden, what was thought to be one of the smaller records is now
> the largest stone meteorite found in Saskatchewan," said Beech, adding
> that the new fragments, along with three previously-collected samples,
> have a combined weight of at least 17 kilograms (37 pounds) and could
"easily
> be as much as 25 kg (55 pounds)" by the time the area is scoured by
scientists.
>
> Beech is confident that all of the dark brown "fusion-crusted"
fragments --
> each of which is about the size of a fist or two -- originated from the
same
> parent rock that likely detonated during the 1950s or '60s, said Beech.
All
> samples are located in a meteorite-strewn area that spans a few kilometres
> of farm fields.
>
> The real challenge, however, is yet to come. In the coming weeks, Beech
and
> his colleagues will map out where they believe each fragment was
uncovered.
> They will also consult local residents and rifle though old newspapers and
> other archived records to see if anyone witnessed or reported the
meteorite's
> landing, said Beech.
>
> By finding out such details, the team of astronomers and geologists will
> hopefully determine a date, as well as what angle the meteorite entered
the
> atmosphere. Other vital information includes lab work that will determine
the
> level of radioactivity within the rock. This is caused by prolonged
exposure
> to cosmic rays, which allows scientists to determine how long the
meteorite
> was in space, said Alan Hildrebrand, professor of geology and geophysics
at
> the University of Calgary.
>
>
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Received on Wed 07 Aug 2002 10:55:57 PM PDT