I just received an e-mail (11:30 am EST 12/22/08) from my friends at Kopernik Observatory (www.kopernik.org) asking for help examining a possible meteorite fall from a few hours ago. My question is: How do you tell a meteorite from some other falling object? Other than checking for burn evidence, magnetic and metallic properties and possible radioactivity, what else should we check to determine what this “rock” is?
Here’s want I know so far:
“We just got a call from emergency services in Port Crane, New York. He said this morning a couple (names deleted) were eating breakfast and a loud crash sent them to their garage, where they say a big rock had crashed thru the window and made a hole in the concrete floor. The owner said the angle of trajectory was such that it couldn't have come from Earth, and saw no footprints or other signs nearby.”
George Normandin
Here’s want I know so far:
“We just got a call from emergency services in Port Crane, New York. He said this morning a couple (names deleted) were eating breakfast and a loud crash sent them to their garage, where they say a big rock had crashed thru the window and made a hole in the concrete floor. The owner said the angle of trajectory was such that it couldn't have come from Earth, and saw no footprints or other signs nearby.”
George Normandin
