[meteorite-list] Canadian Farmer Finds Big Meteorite

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:25 2004
Message-ID: <200203061652.IAA01325_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/03/05/canada.meteorite.reut/index.html

Canadian farmer finds big meteorite
March 5, 2002

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) -- A retired Canadian farmer has accidentally
discovered the second largest meteorite ever found in Canada, researchers
said Tuesday.

"I feel good that I found it," said Tom Wood, the Manitoba man who stumbled
across what he first thought was just a big rock back in September 1997
while operating a road grader.

"I don't know why I stopped, but the stone was there so I stopped. And when
I picked it up it seemed to be a different kind of stone. It seemed to be
awfully heavy for the size of it," said Wood.

That 8.2 kilogram (18 pound) souvenir became a astronomical coup after Wood
brought his booty into a rock identification clinic at a nearby rural store
last summer.

"I don't know anything about them except I found one. It was more a fluke
that it turned out to be one. It was just a stone in the garage. Then it was
a meteorite," said Wood.

Canadian researchers believe the meteorite, found about 65 kilometers (40
miles) southwest of Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg, likely crashed to earth
about 10,000 years ago.

Researchers said the meteorite was well weathered, with most of its fusion
crust worn off, revealing an interior that showed cracks from the shattering
of its parent asteroid.

Scientists, who look to meteorites to discover more about the origins of our
solar system, say there is another piece of this meteorite embedded in the
ground, but the recovery of the remainder is in doubt as Wood cannot
remember exactly where he found it.

The discovery was made as part of the Prairie Meteorite Search Project, a
campaign that encourages western Canadian farmers to have suspect rocks
identified.

"This shows that this technique of asking farmers and others to bring rocks
in they suspect to be meteorites, will produce meteorites," said Dr. Alan
Hildebrand, one of the project leaders who is based at the University of
Calgary.

"I'm sure people in Manitoba have lots more sitting on their window sills,"
said Hildebrand.

"Frankly I think most people would have just chucked it off the road, rather
than stopping to think, well gee, this seems unusual. To me that's pretty
remarkable," said Hildebrand.
Received on Wed 06 Mar 2002 11:52:25 AM PST