[meteorite-list] RE: Nighttime fireball over Palm Springs

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:31 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4E194_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi John, Bernd, and list,

Given the amount of time that has passed since John's fireball
observation, if you were to go searching for it in the desert
now, you'd be more likely to find a ~different~ meteorite than
any that might have been produced by the meteor observed.
Without accurate range information, you have little hope of
recovering an observed fall unless you actually see the stones
hit the ground. Even with triangulation from multiple observers,
the success rate for meteorite recovery is, historically,
practically zero. Consider how many people observed the
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Colorado bolides within the
last year -- so far nothing has been found from any of them.
Granted, the terrain is hardly ideal in any of these cases,
but if you can't pin down the impact point to better than
5 kilometers, you might as well be searching at random.

My advice, John? You live in a great location for meteorite
hunting. With patience, perseverance and a little luck,
you can find one. Just find an area with "old" surfaces,
few rocks, and minimal vegetation to give yourself an edge.
Contact me off-list if you'd like some suggestions on places
to look.

Best,
Rob
Received on Wed 05 Jun 2002 04:58:08 PM PDT