Scientists Find Canadian Meteorite

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Scientists Find Canadian Meteorite

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METEORITE

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Planetary scientist Alan Hildebrand and graduate student Ellen Milley from the University of Calgary discovered fragments of the ten ton meteorite that fell near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border on the evening of November 20.  Fragments of the meteorite, which broke apart before impact, were first found late Thursday evening imbedded in a sheet of ice south of Lloydminster, Alberta.  The scientists now believe that thousands of meteoric fragments cover a 20 square kilometer strewn field near the Battle River in western Saskatchewan, Canada. 

The meteorite first caught the world's attention after it streaked across the skies of North America on November 20, 2008.  At approximately 5:26 PM MST, telephone calls began flooding into police stations, NORAD, and news stations from North Dakota to Edmonton, Alberta.  In fact, so many calls were coming in to the Lloydminster, Alberta police station that they had to ask the NewCap News Team to ask people to stop calling in. Witnesses reported that the night sky turned to day and a deep rumbling was heard as the fireball streaked by overhead. Witnesses also reported that the fireball was followed by a thick smoke trail that lasted up to ten minutes. Locals at the Red Pheasant First Nation, 100 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, said the walls of their band office shook as the meteor passed overhead. A security camera at a Maidstone,
Saskatchewan video store, located 50 kilometers southeast of Lloydminster, recorded the parking lot being illuminated twice as the meteor exploded overhead.

The Leonid Meteor Shower was active at the time of the fireball; however, the meteor was not a part of this event and was most likely an asteroid from the asteroid belt (located between Mars and Jupiter) that ranged in size from a basketball to a large desk.

Officials began their search south of Lloydminster, Alberta between Wainwright, Alberta and North Battleford, Saskatchewan.  Scientists, rock hunters and locals began searching the rural farm country around Macklin, Saskatchewan for any trace of the dramatic fireball. Scientists were racing against Mother Nature and private meteorite hunters who were looking to collect a $10,000 reward for the space rock. Snow flurries had left a dusting over the impact area, but above freezing temperatures had melted the thin layer of snow, allowing for the search to continue. 

Robert Haag, the world's foremost meteorite hunter and collector from Tucson, Arizona is keeping a close eye on any developments. He is offering a $10,000 (U.S.) reward for the first 1 (one) kilogram piece of the meteorite found and delivered to him. Haags' passion for meteorites has led to numerous meteoritic discoveries, and added an immense amount of knowledge to the scientific community.

The meteorite fragments belong to the land owners where it fell, and are considered cultural property.  Any meteorites being exported from Canada must have a special permit, dimming hopes for any meteorite collectors outside of Canada.

Scientists are now racing to collect as many of the meteorite fragments as possible before forecasted snow begins to fall on Tuesday.