[meteorite-list] Grimsby Trip Report Day 4 (a good one!)

From: Matthias Bärmann <majbaermann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:46:01 +0200
Message-ID: <DBBE8CE3740E4C4E9BC65EA60AC2DDE5_at_thinkcentre>

Thanks again, Rob & Mike.

I rely on imagining the situation: "normal" environment, daily life around,
but there must be something completely different ... and here it is! Must be
breathtaking.

Wish you a successful approach to the main mass today ;-)

Best,

Matthias

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Bandli" <fuzzfoot at comcast.net>
To: "'Meteorite List'" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 3:58 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Grimsby Trip Report Day 4 (a good one!)


> Hello all
>
> Today we did what we set out to do!
>
> Late last night we got an email from Rob Matson, who can only be described
> as a half man-half robot juggernaut of number crunching mojo. Taking into
> consideration the all-sky camera network, Doppler radar, and jet stream
> winds he proffered the simplified advice "Tilt the presumed fall pattern a
> bit clockwise." While it was nerve-wracking to wander off the known path,
> we
> had nothing to lose in trying so we set out after a quick stop to re-trace
> the steps taken by the scientists at a possible greenhouse hammer
> location,
> where there was a report of a broken ceiling window that coincided with
> the
> day of the fall. We are almost certain a meteorite caused this, but a
> stone
> is nowhere to be found!
>
> Having no luck at the greenhouse, we proceeded to the 'Matson' location.
> After hours of searching, we found ourselves footsore and hungry so we
> broke
> from lunch. Arriving back to the spot after the carbs stared kicking in we
> walked through a ditch to get back on the vineyard and there it was..a
> complete 14.5 gram individual sitting in the dried mud. We had walked past
> it on the way out, amazing what a belly full of food and a fresh start can
> do.
>
> This makes stone number four with countless man hours spent in the field.
> The TKW now totals ~135 grams. With rain on the menu, and snow shortly on
> the way, work must be done fast if there is any hope of recovery. The US
> hunters are out the door tomorrow and much of the Canadians are headed
> home
> as well.
>
> We gridded like none other the rest of the day, among the vines and Bird
> Blasters which are compressed air cannons that resonate like shotguns in
> order to keep the birds away from the grapes. They fire and random
> intervals
> and will scare the crap out of you if they go off anywhere near you.
>
> We will hear those cannons tonight. We will see the vineyard rows behind
> our
> closed eyes. We will dream of meteorites.
>
> That was the only find of the day and the Scientists raced out to study
> our
> find. We had much time to discuss the find and the event with Dr. Peter
> Brown, Dr. Alan Hildebrand, and Calgary meteoritics student Ellen Millie.
> Dr. Brown discussed the successes of the all-sky camera network in
> predicting not only the fall area but where it fell from making this "The
> most well documented bolide in history and to see the meteorite here makes
> it all worthwhile."
>
> It was lobster tonight for me; we all enjoyed an excellent celebratory
> meal.
>
> Tomorrow is our last day before we out the lovely town of Grimsby in the
> rearview mirror.
>
> Here are some more pics:
>
> http://historicmeteorites.com/HistoricMeteorites/grimsby.html
>
> Rob and Mike
>
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Received on Wed 21 Oct 2009 03:46:01 AM PDT