Monday, October 29, 2007

Meteorite Monday

From ABC news online:

Truck-sized meteorite up for auction

A chunk of one of the most famous meteorites in the world — the size of small truck — goes under the hammer today [Sunday] in the US. ...

Scientists believe the 15.5 tonne chunk of iron and nickle was the core of a planet that shattered in a stellar collision billions of years ago.

It was found in the Williamette valley in Oregon in the United States over 100 years ago.

The local confederated tribes of the Grand Ronde considers the entire meteorite a sacred icon.

The tribe group says it is saddened and dismayed by the sale, but a spokesman said it could not stop the auction and would not consider becoming a bidder.

Also up for auction is “the only mailbox known to have been hit by a meteorite (Claxton, Georgia, 1984).”

As yet today, no living thing has been documented as being killed by a meteorite. Watch this space for late breaking meteorites...

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was interesting to see that all the meteorites were different. Some are quite pretty.

With the population on earth it really has been lucky that no one has ever been struck by one. Strange how they happen to mainly fall in unpopulated or sparsely populated areas.

29/10/07 5:32 PM  
Blogger Caz said...

Which doesn't explain how the confederated tribes managed to *lose* a 15.5 tonne bit of meteorite.

Icons like that are a tad difficult to slip behind the couch, I would have thought.

Not sure where I would put it. Don't think it will fit on the balcony, though it would be a nice centre piece for the pot plants, and a charming conversational item when guests are sipping champagne and awaiting appetizers.

29/10/07 10:22 PM  
Blogger Caz said...

Strange how UFOs only hang about in unpopulated or sparsely populated areas too.

What's wrong with the Bourke Street Mall, say, when all the little kiddies are lined up to see the Myer Xmas windows?

Hey, hey, hey!?

29/10/07 10:25 PM  

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