[meteorite-list] Meteoroid Leaves Lasting Impression

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:10:01 2004
Message-ID: <200304022225.OAA07046_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.daily-journal.com/content/?id=24386

Meteoroid leaves lasting impression
Bill Byrns
Daily Journal
March 30, 2003

The hunt continues for fragments of the meteoroid that blazed over The Journal
area Wednesday night.

So far 20 large meteorites and around 50 smaller fragments have been found
according to Dr. James Schwade of Kankakee.

Experts believe the meteoroid may have been the size of a Volkswagen "Bug"
when it hit the atmosphere and possibly the size of a television set when it
broke apart.

Schwade believes there may well be hundreds of pieces yet to be found. "It will
take weeks before we know better."

Still he believes this could end up being the largest meteorite ever to hit
Illinois. More fragments however will have to be found to stake that claim.

"It is only the ninth meteorite ever found in Illinois," Schwade said.

The first and largest fell in 1927 at Tilden, in downstate Randolph County
just north of Sparta.

According to witnesses, the Tilden meteor broke up in a series of three
explosions while it was still high in the air. The explosions rattled windows
and dishes in the town. Only three pieces -- fragments weighing 9, 46 and
110 pounds -- have ever been found.

Schwade believes the Park Forest meteor may well have passed southwest of
Kankakee before exploding in the air and showering fragments across Park
Forest, Matteson and Olympia Fields.

Paul Sipiera, a professor of geology and astronomy at Harper College in
Palatine, believes the debris field covers a path about 80 miles long by 20
miles wide from north of Bloomington to Chicago's south side and possibly
part of northwestern Indiana.

Schwade has spent the past few days mapping where the meteorites hit and
attempting to determine the size of the original meteor.

Friday and Saturday he was attempting to confirm reports of meteorites
landing in Beecher which would mark the southern extent of the shower.

Chris and Pauline Zeilenga of Beecher were watching TV around midnight when
"The sky lit up completely from horizon to horizon. We've seen lightning
storms, but this was nothing like that," he said.

"A minute or so later the house started rumbling and we heard all these tiny
particles hitting the house."

Outside his home, Zeilenga found tiny gray and black pieces of stone. He
didn't realize their origin until he heard people talking about meteorites
as he rode the morning train to work in Chicago. "When I heard that I
thought, 'That's what it was!' ''

Schwade said the largest specimen found so far "weighed 7 1/2 pounds and was
found two blocks north of Lincoln Highway and two blocks west of Western
Avenue just barely into Olympia Fields.

"Another large meteorite, just over 5 pounds, was found two blocks south of
Lincoln Highway and 6-8 blocks west of Western.

"Several others in the 1-to-2 pound range were found in northern Park Forest
and in the south side of Olympia Fields."

The meteorite shower covered a three-mile diameter area of Park Forest,
Matteson and Olympia Fields. Three homes in Park Forest were damaged, along
with the fire department.

There were no reports of injuries, said Park Forest Police Capt. Francis
DioGuardi. Police said about 60 pieces of space rocks have been turned in to
the department.

In nearby Matteson, there were reports that two homes were hit by meteorite
pieces.

Experts have ruled out speculation that the fragments may have been space
debris.

Schwade believes the meteor may have originated in the Asteroid Belt between
Mars and Jupiter.

Ironically another asteroid is now visible to the naked eye in the eastern
sky. The asteroid 4 Vesta will be looping through the large constellation
Virgo during the early evening hours.

Virgo, one of the largest constellations, is marked by four bright stars
including the blue-white giant Spica.

The asteroid 4 Vesta will continued to be visible through June and July
when it climbs higher in the sky.
Received on Wed 02 Apr 2003 05:25:33 PM PST