A bright fireball meteorite was observed over Maine on April 8, as confirmed by NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Lab. The meteorite, which fell near the U.S.-Canada border, is the first to be detected by radar in Maine using the NEXRAD system. The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum is offering a $25,000 reward for the recovery of the meteorite, provided it weighs at least 1 kilogram and passes authenticity tests conducted by museum staff.
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Hey, Dave - FYIThe space rock was seen soaring over the Pine Tree State on Saturday, April 8, according to NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Lab.
“Eyewitnesses report a fireball that was bright even in midday, followed by loud sonic booms near Calais, Maine,” according to the agency.
The falling meteorite was observed for just under five minutes before it landed near the U.S.-Canada border.
The crash is the first meteorite fall to be detected by radar in the state, the agency said.
The weather radar that identified the falling space rock, known as NEXRAD, has been in operation since 1996, Marc Fries, a NASA scientist who studies meteorite falls, told McClatchy News.
Following the crash, the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, which houses the largest display of meteorites from Mars and the moon on Earth, announced it is offering $25,000 to the individual who finds the meteorite, Myles Felch, a museum curator, told McClatchy News.
Any specimen brought to the museum has to weigh 1 kilogram or more, Felch said, adding that the rock’s texture and chemistry would be analyzed to confirm its authenticity.