[meteorite-list] Meteorite Lands In Back Yard In South Carolina?

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:35 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4EA7A_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

> http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/2606419p-2418584c.html

There are so many factual and conceptual errors in this story that
I have 100% confidence in dismissing it as hogwash.

> The Beafort Gazette (South Carolina)

With apologies to our list members from South Carolina, my warning
flag is already raised at this point...

> "I was only about 15 feet away from it when it came down,"
> said Morris. "It had a smoky white tail."

Which I'm sure she saw real well at 3:40 in the morning... ;-)

> Morris said small glowing flames dropped from it as it came down...

Of course...uh-huh...please, go on...

> Morris plans on keeping the few extraterrestrial pieces.

(Until she figures out that she can sell the fakes on eBay...)

> While reports like Morris' do come in on occasion they
> usually aren't actual meteorites, said Christina Lacey, a
> professor at the University of South Carolina's physics and
> astronomy department. "I've never heard of (the reports)
> panning out," Lacey said.

Good for Christina -- at least she knows the score.

> Lacey said meteorites coming from passing comets, which
> are composed of ice, usually burn up ...

As we all know, a meteorite by definition never burns up. I
think she means meteoroids, though I would prefer the wording
"debris shed by passing comets".

> "Most meteorites tend to be very simple" in composition, Lacey said.

Compared to what???? A living organism? Has she ever seen the
inside of an "ordinary" chondrite?

> Lacey said rarely do man-made meteorites make it to Earth, and when
> they do it's usually over water.

"Man-made meteorites" -- so now satellite debris are also meteorites...

> If someone does recover something they think is a meteorite, Lacey
> said geologists can usually tell whether it's from outer space or
> not.

If past performance is any indication, I would say they usually CAN'T.

> "You could talk to the geology department at Clemson, the University
> of South Carolina or the College of Charleston and they could identify
> it," Lacey said.

Do they have a meteoritics department? If not, then I have my doubts.

> Morris said she doesn't plan on doing anything like that ...

Of course not -- as long as no one qualified ever looks at them, her
fantasy is intact.

> ... though she does admit it's somewhat unbelievable.

I don't think we need the "somewhat".

> "I just wish I had a video camera at the time," she said. "Without a
> movie, it's like no one believes you."

Exactly. Indeed, Ms. Morris has unwittingly revealed the source for
her story -- movies. I wonder if Armageddon was on T.V. the night
before? ;-) --Rob
Received on Tue 10 Jun 2003 01:23:28 PM PDT