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

From: harlan trammell <skyrox_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:36 2004
Message-ID: <BAY1-F74g1XbIv1vDfr0000c687_at_hotmail.com>

<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>the "flames" unsell it for me.<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;From: Ron Baalke <BAALKE_at_ZAGAMI.JPL.NASA.GOV>
<DIV></DIV>&gt;To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing List)
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Lands In Back Yard In South Carolina?
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2003 08:10:28 -0700 (PDT)
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/2606419p-2418584c.html
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Meteorite lands in back yard
<DIV></DIV>&gt;By CHRIS BENDER
<DIV></DIV>&gt;The Beafort Gazette (South Carolina)
<DIV></DIV>&gt;June 10, 2003
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Dianne Morris saw something out of this world while
<DIV></DIV>&gt;walking her dogs early Monday morning.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;A meteorite landed in the Beaufort resident's back yard at
<DIV></DIV>&gt;about 3:40 a.m.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"I was only about 15 feet away from it when it came down,"
<DIV></DIV>&gt;said Morris. "It had a smoky white tail."
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Morris said small glowing flames dropped from it as it came
<DIV></DIV>&gt;down and it made a loud popping sound before hitting the
<DIV></DIV>&gt;ground. It didn't leave a depression, and she was able to
<DIV></DIV>&gt;pick up several pieces.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Morris plans on keeping the few extraterrestrial pieces.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;While reports like Morris' do come in on occasion, they
<DIV></DIV>&gt;usually aren't actual meteorites, said Christina Lacey, a
<DIV></DIV>&gt;professor at the University of South Carolina's physics and
<DIV></DIV>&gt;astronomy department.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"I've never heard of (the reports) panning out," Lacey said.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"Certainly, meteorites do hit the Earth."
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Nothing unusual was detected by the radar at the air station
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Monday morning, said Master Sgt. Terrance Peck, public affairs
<DIV></DIV>&gt;chief for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Officials at the National
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Weather Service in Charleston said a meteorite would be moving
<DIV></DIV>&gt;too fast for them to track.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;What a meteorite is made of is one of the factors that determines
<DIV></DIV>&gt;whether it makes it to the Earth's surface. Lacey said meteorites
<DIV></DIV>&gt;coming from passing comets, which are composed of ice, usually burn
<DIV></DIV>&gt;up, while iron-based meteorites that come from asteroids might make
<DIV></DIV>&gt;it to the surface.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Meteorites usually are made of melted minerals with some containing
<DIV></DIV>&gt;iron-nickel alloys.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"Most meteorites tend to be very simple" in composition, Lacey said.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"Most meteorites do land in water."
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;According to the National Air and Space Administration's Web site,
<DIV></DIV>&gt;each day as many as 4 billion meteoroids, most minuscule in size,
<DIV></DIV>&gt;enter Earth's atmosphere. Most of these meteors burn up from
<DIV></DIV>&gt;atmospheric friction and never reach the ground.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;The angle at which the meteoroid enters the planet's atmosphere can
<DIV></DIV>&gt;also determine whether it breaks up, skips back into space or explodes.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Lacey said rarely do man-made meteorites make it to Earth, and when
<DIV></DIV>&gt;they do it's usually over water.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;If someone does recover something they think is a meteorite, Lacey
<DIV></DIV>&gt;said geologists can usually tell whether it's from outer space or not.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"You could talk to the geology department at Clemson, the University
<DIV></DIV>&gt;of South Carolina or the College of Charleston and they could identify
<DIV></DIV>&gt;it," Lacey said. "A lot of times they can do it just by looking at it."
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Morris said she doesn't plan on doing anything like that, though she
<DIV></DIV>&gt;does admit it's somewhat unbelievable.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;"I just wish I had a video camera at the time," she said. "Without a
<DIV></DIV>&gt;movie, it's like no one believes you."
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;Contact Chris Bender at 986-5553 or cbender_at_beaufortgazette.com.
<DIV></DIV>&gt;
<DIV></DIV>&gt;______________________________________________
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Received on Tue 10 Jun 2003 05:06:50 PM PDT


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