[meteorite-list] Researchers Hunt For Missing Meteorite in Indiana

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Sep 5 19:58:26 2006
Message-ID: <200609052358.QAA04522_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=5367973

Researchers hunt for missing meteorite
WTHR Eyewitness News (Indiana)
September 5, 2006

Carmel - A rare phenomenon in a Carmel neighborhood last month has
created a buzz among scientists worldwide. One Indiana scientific
investigator believes it was a meteor that struck the home - one of 14
known to have occurred in Indiana. Researchers hope to find the rock
that may help better understand our universe.

The hole in the roof of Mary Zakrajsek's Carmel home is one of two put
there on August 12th. The size of tennis balls, the discovery has
attracted the attention of scientists around the world. Zakrajsek and
her family remember what happened during the annual Perseid Meteor shower.

"The first thing I heard was a sonic boom. I've heard sonic booms before
and there's no question that's what I heard," he said.

Neighbors reported hearing what sounded like cannon fire, then seeing a
large black smoke ring above the roof. When firefighters arrived, they
located a heat source in the wall of the home but didn't recover what
geologists believe is one of only a few meteorites to hit Indiana, a
scientifically valuable object they hope is somewhere in the house.

"They can offer valuable insight about conditions very early in the
history of the solar system," said Dr. Nelson Shaffer, Indiana
Geological Survey.

Only around a dozen meteorites are recovered around the earth each year,
often entering the atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour and
creating the sonic boom Mary Zakrajsek and her neighbors heard. "We all
thought it was some explosion in the attic but there's nothing to
indicate that. It was the holes and heat source," she said.

Small particles found indicate that a meteor likely stuck the house, an
even rarer phenomenon. Now scientists hope to find the space rock that
may help provide a better understanding of the origins of the Universe.

Reseachers hope to recover the meteor that may be lodged in an upstairs
bedroom wall. The family has also received offers from collectors to
sell the rock. They say they're not sure what they're going to do if
they find it.
Received on Tue 05 Sep 2006 07:58:22 PM PDT