[meteorite-list] Meteorites On Display In Orissa, India

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:34 2004
Message-ID: <200310231632.JAA01547_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?id=44071

Meteorites on display in Orissa
Sampad Mahapatra
ndtv.com
October 23, 2003

Bhubaneshwar - Three pieces of the extra-large meteorite that lit up the sky
along coastal Orissa last month have been recovered from two villages in
Kendrapara district.

These are now on display at the Geological Survey of India office in
Bhubaneswar for the people to have a closer look.

The meteorites had caused considerable panic across the state on the night of
September 27 when they crashed.

As a result the extra-terrestrial objects, weighing between 500 grams and
5.7 kilograms, have aroused great curiosity especially among the school students.

"I had read of these in our geography books, but I hadn't ever seen it. To see
and touch it has been a great learning experience," said Shobhna Shroff, student.

Meteorites are magnetic and contain an alloy of iron and nickel mixed with
silicate materials. The geologists say the meteorites that struck the state
may have their origin either in Jupiter or Mars.

But exact details about its genesis, content and geological age will be known
after laboratory tests. The pieces will be sent to the Indian Museum in Kolkata
after the city exhibition for display along with nearly 600 similar pieces of
meteorites.
Received on Thu 23 Oct 2003 12:32:36 PM PDT