[meteorite-list] NPA 02-12-1969 Scientists Study Fragments of Allende Meteorite

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: Panama City Herald
City: Panama City, Florida
Date: Wednesday Afternoon, February 12, 1969
Page: 1 (of 74)

Scientists To Study Fragments Of 'Fireball' Found In Mexico

     CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Scientists from the Smithsonian Astrophysical 
Observatory will study a fragment of a meteorite which fell in Northern 
Mexico Saturday for possible clues to the origin of the solar system.
     Six fragments of the meteor, which caused a widely seen fireball, were 
recovered in a 20-square mile area near the town of Parral in the state of 
Chihuahua by a scientist from the NASA center at Houston.
     The largest fragments weighs about 30 pounds, an observatory spokesman 
said, and looks like fine concrete flecked with metal.
     The fragment destined for Cambridge will be analyzed for radioactive 
particles not found on earth, which are created by cosmic ray bombardment 
while the meteor travels through space.
     Since meteors are believed to be fragments of ancient exploded planets, 
study of them may shed light on the origin of the solar system.
     The fragments were sterilized for the trip north, the spokesman said, 
and will be analyzed in a rigidly controlled environment.
     The investigation at Cambridge will be at the Center for Short-Lived 
Phenomena, which is equipped to examine the fragments for radioactive 
elements that have a short half life.

     The Air Force joined the investigation at the request of the 
Smithsonian Institute in Washington by flying a B57 jet bomber through the 
probably dust trails left in the atmosphere by the meteor to collector any 
particles left.  Sample of atmosphere collected in filter traps on the jet 
bomber were sent in the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory at Menlo Park, 
Calif.

(end)

Mark note: The "scientist from the NASA center at Houston" is Dr. Elbert 
King.  You can read more about his trip to Mexico in his book, "Moon Trip", 
and on my website in the newspaper article section, and the articles I wrote 
section.

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
http://www.meteoritearticles.com
http://www.coinandstampman.com
http://www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com
http://www.imca.cc

http://stores.ebay.com/meteoritearticles

PDF copy of this article, and most I post (and about 1/2 of those on my 
website), is available upon e-mail request.

The NPA in the subject line, stands for Newspaper Article. The old list 
server allowed us a search feature the current does not, so I guess this is 
more for quick reference and shortening the subject line now.