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(meteorobs) Pennsylvania impact?
I received this just today. Skeeter is not a member of the list so please
include him in any responses.
-----Original Message-----
From: nmastro@ptddot net [mailto:nmastro@ptddot net]
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2000 7:41 PM
To: The dome-l mailing list
Subject: [dome-l] Pennsylvania impact?
Greetings to all, and those knowledgeable about meteorite impacts in
particular:
An interesting event took place at 3am Saturday morning here, just west of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As reported in the Lancaster New Era, a car
windshield was punctured by what was most likely a meteorite. I visited and
photographed the car, a 1980 Ford Fairmont, this afternoon. The impact
created a 3" hole just above the windshield wiper, and an equal size hole in
the top of the dashboard and into the air duct below it. There is a
radiating pattern of cracks covering the entire windshield, and
discolorations and melting (on the glass, the metal edge of the windshield
and the wiper blade, and on/in the dash) that indicate intense heat. The
hood and roof, and the entire inside of the car are covered with tiny chips
of glass. The meteorite, if anything is left of it, may be far down inside
the air ducts inside the dash.
Several local observers reported a fireball, and residents in the
neighborhood reported the loud "thump" at the same time of night. Police
ruled out vandalism (i.e. thrown rock or gunshot.) I am tracking down the
fireball sightings to try to estimate the trajectory (and establish whether
it may match that expected of a Leonid).
I have these questions:
1) Can it be discerned from this information whether a meteorite fragment
should remain (i.e. should the dash be dismantled to hunt for it, and how
small an object would one be hunting for)?
2) Could there be any chance that the damage to the top of the dashboard was
caused by glass projected downward, and that in fact, the meteorite
'bounced' off to some other location in the neightborhood?
3) Are there professionals who would want to know more about the incident?
4) What might be the car owner's best strategy for protecting the little
piece of history his car has (allegedly) become and/or realizing some
appreciation of its value to the proper collector or museum?
If you can help, I will pass the information on the the owner. You can
reply to me 'off-list' at nmastro@ptddot net Thanks!
Skeeter Eliason
North Museum Planetarium
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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