Meteorite lights up the sky over Canada, November 20, 2008
There’s video showing “one of largest meteors to streak over Canada in the last decade.” It’s believed that there are pieces to be found in central Saskatchewan.
A Canadian newspaper explains how to tell if you have found a piece of a meteorite and what to do if you have:
“There are a number of distinct characteristics. One of the key things you’d expect for a meteorite, certainly a freshly fallen one, would be it would have this thin, glassy, dark, blackish colour called fusion crust. The other key thing you might want to look for is to see if it’s magnetic. Pretty much all meteorites are magnetic, so a magnet should either stick to it or be attracted by the rock. If you’ve got those two indicators there, that’s a pretty promising sign,” he said.
If anyone suspects they have found a meteorite, they can contact the Prairie Meteorite Search through its Web site or call Beech at 306-359-1216.
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UPDATE! Here’s better video — really excellent video — of the streaking meteorite!
UPDATE! University of Calgary scientist Alan Hildebrand and graduate student Ellen Milley found several meteor fragments near the Battle River, along the rural Alberta-Saskatchewan border, near the city of Lloydminster, late Thursday. There could be thousands of meteorite pieces strewn over a 7-square-mile area of mostly uninhabitated, flat, barren land.
(Photo credit: SpaceWeather.com)
