Guest Posted August 28, 2002 #1 Share Posted August 28, 2002 Just found this on Aol news site A NORTH Yorkshire teenager is convinced she has been hit by a meteorite which could be billions of years old. Siobhan Cowton says the small lump of warm rock fell from the sky over Northallerton and landed on her foot. She has compared it to pictures of meteorites on the internet and is sending it for scientific analysis. The 14-year-old said: "I thought it was a stone, but it looked very unusual, with a bubbled surface and lots of tiny indentations - a bit like volcanic lava." Dr Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores, University, says meteorites fall to earth every day but the chance of being hit by one is rare. He told the Daily Mail: "Sometimes people see things falling and it is only ice from aircraft. A lot of terrestrial rock looks meteoric but geologists or planetary scientists can analyse these things and tell very quickly. "If this is a meteorite it could be billions of years old and come from the earliest formation of the solar system. There is speculation that some may come from Mars." The Cowton family is taking the piece of rock, which is about the size of an adult's thumb, to Durham University to find out more about its origins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceyKC Posted August 28, 2002 #2 Share Posted August 28, 2002 She was lucky, it could have done a lot more damage to her physically. I hope it turns out to be a meteorite, then they can study it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted August 28, 2002 #3 Share Posted August 28, 2002 Meteorites are cool 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2002 #4 Share Posted August 29, 2002 It would be good if they did a follow up report on this when they have done the tests i would like it to be a mereorite would be interesting to study it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loonboy Posted August 29, 2002 #5 Share Posted August 29, 2002 [blue]I think Siobhan has some friends with bullying issues.... [/blue] :s9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalcase Posted August 29, 2002 #6 Share Posted August 29, 2002 I remember going to the Museum Science and Industry in Chicago and all the meteorites they had on display had went through houses (as much as three stories) and cars. I think if she was hit with a meteorite, her foot would have been damaged. But i could be wrong. I just know that originally it would have to be a pretty big Meteorite before it hit our atmosphere, because it should have burnt up on entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saru Posted August 30, 2002 #7 Share Posted August 30, 2002 I have to agree with MentalCase here, if she had been hit by a meteorite, she would have ended up in hospital. Even the smallest meteorites seem to do a lot of damage. I've seen programmes on TV where very small meteorites have torn through peoples house roofs, and one in particular that wrecked someones car when it bored straight through it. Surely if a meteorite had hit her foot she would have suffered considerable injury. Even a small object travelling at terminal velocity could kill you if it landed on you - a meteorite is no exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loonboy Posted August 30, 2002 #8 Share Posted August 30, 2002 [blue]So we're all agreed then? We're going with the 'Billy No Mates' theory? [/blue] :s02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azazel Posted September 1, 2002 #9 Share Posted September 1, 2002 :sg YEP :sg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electro Posted November 1, 2002 #10 Share Posted November 1, 2002 Sounds plausible although they obviously had a terrible aim as surely they would have wanted to hit her in the head and make her cry. Its a sad reflection on the state of sports in the UK today that kids can't throw straight. :s5 Just kidding! In case someone actually took me seriously. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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