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(meteorobs) Fwd: Meteoroid Leaves Lasting Impression


http://www.daily-journal.com/content/?id=24386

Meteoroid leaves lasting impression
Bill Byrns
Daily Journal
March 30, 2003

The hunt continues for fragments of the meteoroid that
blazed over The Journal area Wednesday night. 

So far 20 large meteorites and around 50 smaller
fragments have been found according to 
Dr James Schwade of Kankakee. 

Experts believe the meteoroid may have been the size
of a Volkswagen "Bug" when it hit the atmosphere and
possibly the size of a television set when it broke
apart. 

Schwade believes there may well be hundreds of pieces
yet to be found. "It will take weeks before we know
better." 

Still he believes this could end up being the largest
meteorite ever to hit Illinois. More fragments however
will have to be found to stake that claim. 

"It is only the ninth meteorite ever found in
Illinois," Schwade said. 

The first and largest fell in 1927 at Tilden, in
downstate Randolph County just north of Sparta. 

According to witnesses, the Tilden meteor broke up in
a series of three explosions while it was still high
in the air. The explosions rattled windows and dishes
in the town. Only three pieces -- fragments weighing
9, 46 and 110 pounds -- have ever been found. 

Schwade believes the Park Forest meteor may well have
passed southwest of Kankakee before exploding in the
air and showering fragments across Park Forest,
Matteson and Olympia Fields. 

Paul Sipiera, a professor of geology and astronomy at
Harper College in Palatine, believes the debris field
covers a path about 80 miles long by 20 miles wide
from north of Bloomington to Chicago's south side and
possibly part of northwestern Indiana. 

Schwade has spent the past few days mapping where the
meteorites hit and attempting to determine the size of
the original meteor[oid]. 

Friday and Saturday he was attempting to confirm
reports of meteorites landing in Beecher which would
mark the southern extent of the shower. 

Chris and Pauline Zeilenga of Beecher were watching TV
around midnight when "The sky lit up completely from
horizon to horizon. We've seen lightning storms, but
this was nothing like that," he said. 

"A minute or so later the house started rumbling and
we heard all these tiny particles hitting the house." 

Outside his home, Zeilenga found tiny gray and black
pieces of stone. He didn't realize their origin until
he heard people talking about meteorites as he rode
the morning train to work in Chicago. "When I heard
that I thought, 'That's what it was!' '' 

Schwade said the largest specimen found so jar
"weighed 7 1/2 pounds and was found two blocks north
of Lincoln Highway and two blocks west of Western
Avenue just barely into Olympia Fields. 

"Another large meteorite, just over 5 pounds, was
found two blocks south of Lincoln Highway and 6-8
blocks west of Western. 

"Several others in the 1-to-2 pound range were found
in northern Park Forest and in the south side of
Olympia Fields." 

The meteorite shower covered a three-mile diameter
area of Park Forest, Matteson and Olympia Fields.
Three homes in Park Forest were damaged, along 
with the fire department.

There were no reports of injuries, said Park Forest
Police Capt. Francis DioGuardi. Police said about 60
pieces of space rocks have been turned in to the
department. 

In nearby Matteson, there were reports that two homes
were hit by meteorite pieces. 

Experts have ruled out speculation that the fragments
may have been space debris. 

Schwade believes the meteor may have originated in the
Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

Ironically another asteroid is now visible to the
naked eye in the eastern sky. The asteroid 4 Vesta
will be looping through the large constellation Virgo
during the early evening hours.

Virgo, one of the largest constellations, is marked by
four bright stars including the blue-white giant
Spica. 

The asteroid 4 Vesta will continued to be visible
through June and July when it climbs higher in the
sky. 
 
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