Latest news with #meteorite
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
How do I know if I found a meteorite?
After a suspected meteor fell in metro Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, meteorite hunters are searching for fragments. But how do you know if you found a meteorite or just a rock? The United States Geological Survey has the answer to just that. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The USGS says they adapted these tips from the University of New Mexico Meteorite Museum. Density: Meteorites are usually quite heavy for their size, since they contain metallic iron and dense minerals. Magnetic: Since most meteorites contain metallic iron, a magnet will often stick to them. For 'stony' meteorites, a magnet might not stick, but if you hang the magnet by a string, it will be attracted. Unusual shape: iron-nickel meteorites are rarely rounded. Instead, they have an irregular shape with unusual pits like finger prints in their surface called 'regmaglypts.' Fusion crust: stony meteorites typically have a thin crust on their surface where it melted as it passed through the atmosphere. Meteorites do NOT have the following: Light-colored crystals: Quartz is a common, light-colored crystal in Earth's crust, but it is not found on other bodies in the solar system. Bubbles: volcanic rocks or metallic slag on Earth often have bubbles or vesicles in them, but meteorites do not. Streak: if you scratch a meteorite on an unglazed ceramic surface, it should not leave a streak. A dense rock that leaves a black or red streak probably contains the iron minerals magnetite or hematite, respectively, neither of which are typically found in meteorites. The scientists at the USGS say they don't verify meteorites. RELATED STORIES: Meteorite hunters searching for fragments in Henry County 'Fireball' in the sky seen across metro Atlanta What did you see falling through the sky? A meteor or meteorite? 'It was really, really scary': People across metro in shock as fireball falls from the sky Channel 2's Audrey Washington caught up with meteorite hunters in Henry County where they believe they found a fragment on Friday afternoon. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fireball may bring memories of past meteorites that fell in Florida
The American Meteor Society received nearly 150 reports of a meteor flashing through the daytime sky Thursday, June 26. Most of the reports were from Georgia and South Carolina, but a few reported seeing the fireball from Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. It's possible the "rock" that hit a Georgia home was meteorite associated with the fireball. Meteorites aren't very common in Florida, but there have been documented reports over the last 100 years, including three in this century, according to The Meteoritical Society. The NWS station in Peachtree City, Georgia, posted on Facebook, "It appears that either a meteor or space junk crossed the skies of north Georgia just before 12:30 p.m." June 26. The American Meteor Society logged more than 200 witness reports from North Florida up to North Carolina and Tennessee of a bright streak in the sky. Most of the reports were in northeastern Georgia and western South Carolina, at around 12:21 p.m. ET. Bill Cooke, the chief of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told The New York Times and local news outlets the meteor was about 3 feet in diameter and weighed more than 1 ton The Peachtree National Weather Service said "a citizen reported that a 'rock' fell through their ceiling around the time of the reports of the 'earthquake.'" "We are presuming that a piece of the object fell through their roof," the Peachtree NWS said. "Henry County EMA also reported that the object broke through the roof, then the ceiling, before cracking the laminate on the floor and stopping." While not as common as neighboring states, meteorites have been reported in Florida. The Meteoritical Society lists the following: Okechobee, 1916 2.2 pounds Eustis, 1918 1.1 pounds Bonita Springs, 1938 92 pounds Grayton, 1983 24.9 pounds Orlando, 2004 .39 pounds Tiger Tail, 2015 .08 pounds Osceola, 2016 In total, eight stones were found with a combined weight of 2.4 pounds A "confirmed fall" followed a "large daytime fireball (that) streaked across the sky in northern Florida" on Jan. 24, 2016. Designated as Osceola, eight meteorites were found in the Osceola Wildlife Management Area west of Jacksonville, with a combined weight of 2.4 pounds, according to The Meteoritical Society ➤ See photos A meteoroid is a rock in space. It becomes a meteor when it enters Earth's atmosphere and is commonly called a "shooting star" or "fireball." If it hits the ground, it's a meteorite, NASA said. "Scientists estimate about 48.5 tons of meteoritic material falls on Earth each day," according to NASA. "Almost all the material is vaporized in Earth's atmosphere, leaving a bright trail fondly called 'shooting stars.' "Several meteors per hour can usually be seen on any given night. Sometimes the number increases dramatically —these events are called meteor showers." The Bootid meteor shower is an unpredictable shower that peaks today, June 27, although it'll remain active until about July 2, according to The best times to catch the Bootid meteor shower are a couple of hours before dawn and after sunset, according to Forbes. Contributing: Eric Lagatta, C.A. Bridges, USA Today Network-Florida This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fireball in the sky: List of meteorites that hit Florida
The Guardian
a day ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Fireball in the sky as suspected meteor rattles Georgia and the Carolinas
A 'fireball' that may have been a meteor burned through the sky on Tuesday just after noon in north Georgia, with a meteorite fragment crashing through the roof of a house in metro Atlanta. 'It pierced through the roof all the way through and cracked through the laminate flooring to the concrete,' said Ryan Morrison, director of emergency management for Henry county, a suburban area south-east of Atlanta. 'That's why we think it's part of this meteor storm.' The homeowner requested the homeland security office refrain from identifying them, because they have a small child, Morrison said. People across north Georgia and parts of North Carolina and South Carolina reported seeing the meteor, smoke trailing its descent. A boom around 12.30pm rattled houses across metro Atlanta. Images and video have begun to emerge of the fireball. The National Weather Service didn't initially recognize what it saw on its radar, said Dylan Lusk, a senior meteorologist at the service's Peachtree City station. 'We did not catch it on radar, and that is mostly because it looks like the fireball that occurred was a little bit too high up,' Lusk said. 'I was looking at some of our satellite stuff; we were able to catch a smoke trail.' The fireball resembled a lightning strike on the service's global lightning mapper, he said. The Atlanta area has had a spate of strong lightning storms over the last day, which led many to dismiss the boom as more lightning. A meteor strike is uncharted territory, Lusk said. 'We're not experts on this stuff,' he said. Space debris or asteroids are the purview of Nasa, he added.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fireball streak captured on camera in Southeast U.S.
A possible meteorite was spotted shooting through the sky in the Southeast United States. The National Weather Service office in Charleston said there were "many reports of a fireball" across the region. NBC News' Bill Karins reports on possible explanations for the sighting.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘Fireball' in the sky seen across metro Atlanta
Channel 2 Action News is receiving reports of a 'fireball' falling from the sky Thursday afternoon. Several viewers have called and messaged, saying they saw something in the sky before hearing a loud boom and feeling shaking. Channel 2 Action News is speaking with witnesses and gathering new video for Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. Henry County emergency officials say they are investigating reports that a piece of a meteorite flew through a roof and into a home. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] We've received reports from across metro Atlanta, including DeKalb County, downtown Atlanta and down to Henry and Newton counties. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says it may be a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere. The National Weather Service in Charleston, S.C. reported a streak in Gasbury, Va. just before noon. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
