Scientists Find Possible Meteorite Pieces in Ocean
Scientists have found what they believe are pieces of a meteorite that fell to Earth earlier this year. The objects were discovered off the coast of the United States in the Pacific Ocean, near the state of Washington.
The crew of the Nautilus, a private research ship, recovered the objects. The Nautilus is operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, a non-profit organization. The group says its aim is to examine “areas of the ocean that have never been explored.”
The ship is equipped with two remotely operated vehicles, called Hercules and Argus. These robotic submarines help researchers find and collect materials from the seafloor.
The search was launched after U.S. government weather stations observed a large meteorite exploding four months ago. The explosion lit up the night sky and sent the rock pieces falling to Earth. They landed in the Pacific on March 7, about 25 kilometers off the coast of Washington.
Marc Fries of NASA says the fact that the pieces landed in the ocean, instead of on land, means larger ones may have survived and can be studied.
The exploration team expressed high hopes for future searches. “If successful, this will be the first known recovery of a meteorite from the ocean,” the group reported on its website.
Meteor showers are very common. There are about 95 known meteor showers that take place at the same time every year. To get the full experience, viewers should be far away from the glow of city lights.
