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(meteorobs) POSIBBLE NEW DUTCH METEORITE????



From Marco Langbroek, Dutch Meteor Society (DMS), the Netherlands:
6/08/1999, 15:30 UT

Dear Everyone,

Although it is still too early to give a definite opinion, it appears 
very well possible that we have a new meteorite in The Netherlands. On 
July 22, a mysterious object crashed through the steel plate roofing of 
an iron melting company (!) in Weert, in the South of the Netherlands 
(51d 15'N, 5d 42' E), striking a 'crater' in the floor of 20x20 cm. It was 
seized by the Aviation Police dept. for 
investigation because initially it was thought to be part of an aircraft. 
That turns out to be not the case.

After press reports this morning, Casper ter Kuile and I contacted the 
Aviation Police for information; this resulted in an invitation by 
officer Krone, who was very kind, helpfull and interested (and curious!) to 
check on the object. So I took half a day leave from my work and visited 
Schiphol Airport Oost this early afternoon (with a piece of 'Mbale' 
chondrite in my pocket to show as an example -I happened to have it with 
me because I had shown it to some of my collegue archaeologist, to make 
them aware if they encounter such things during field surveys! A very odd 
coincidence indeed!), where the bureau of the aviation 
authorities is located. Together with dr. L. Lindner from Utrecht 
University (Dept. Earth Sciences), who had also arrived, we investigated 
the object macroscopically.

Currently, we cannot say for certain (please note!) that this must be a 
meteorite. Both of us are of the opinion that the shape of the object is 
very odd (unlike anything I've ever seen in the field of meteorites), but 
the structure of the surface is very convincing. Thus, we for the moment 
judge it to be a POSSIBLE iron meteorite untill chemical investigations 
will settle the issue. But I give it a good although certainly not 100% 
chance. Dr. Lindner has taken the object to Utrecht for chemical analysis 
and isotopic measurements. Now, we have to await the final verdict on the 
object.

The shape is very odd. It is a slightly tapered, rod-like object, maximum 
dimension 42 mm long, minimum diameter 14mm. Never seen such a 
'meteorite' before. It however appears to have a very convincing 'fusion 
crust' that is dark brown-black and smooth. The elongated object has 
moothed corners. It is compact metal.

If this is a true meteorite, it is the 5th surviving Dutch one (others in 
1840, 1843, 1925 and 1990) and the first Dutch iron meteorite.

- Marco Langbroek
  Dutch Meteor Society (the Netherlands)
  http://home.wxsdot nl/~dms-web/
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