List:
I hope someone makes a find.
Good luck to anyone out there, an be safe.
Greg S
http://www.dailytownsman.com/article/20110524/CRANBROOK0101/305249994/-1/cranbrook/meteorite-fell-near-wynndel
Meteorite fell near Wynndel
Last weekend's meteor over Cranbrook would have fallen north of Wynndel,
experts have calculated.
A Finnish astronomer, Esko Lyytinen, analyzed footage from meteor cameras in
Cranbrook, Saskatchewan, Penticton and Calgary to determine the possible
location of meteorites from the fireball.
"He went frame by frame through the video and he enhanced the stars so he could
know the position," explained Rick Nowell, physics lab technician at the
College of the Rockies.
According to Lyytinen, the meteor entered the atmosphere at a height of 79
kilometres. Initially weighing 20 kilograms, the meteor broke apart at least
twice before dissolving into a trail of gravel. The flashes caught by the
camera indicate the explosions.
Last week, Lyytinen drew on a map the area in which he believes the meteorites
may have fallen. On Tuesday, he emailed The Townsman to add that he has
received new footage, and he advises that the line should be continued up to
another 10 kilometres further west.
"I will not give at this stage a new map, but it looks probable that it fell
down more to the south west than the line or ellipse," said Lyytinen.
"It probably had a bigger entry velocity and higher beginning. This would also
mean a somewhat smaller (than earlier expected) meteorite size on the ground."
Still, meteorite hunters could head north from Wynndel and search east of Duck
Lake. If there is snow, Nowell said, look for a hole in the snow. Otherwise,
take a metal detector.
"Your metal detector would beep as it goes over it and a magnet would pick it
up. It probably has a lot of nickel and iron in it," said Nowell.
The meteor probably came from the asteroid belt, Nowell added.
"Usually they have little indentations in them. The rock will be smooth, but
with lots of little dimples in it where it evaporated. The atmosphere
sandblasts it coming down and melts it a bit," he said.
The meteorites' value could range widely.
"Common iron meteors can range from $.50/gram to $5/gram, rarer stoney
meteorites $2 to $20/gram, and really rare ones $100 or $1000/gram or more,
depending if they have embedded gems or if they're from Mars or the moon," said
Nowell.
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