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Kirkland ‐ A Questioned Fall *
Author(s) -
READ WILLIAM F.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
meteoritics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 0026-1114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1963.tb01406.x
Subject(s) - kamacite , astronomer , meteorite , dome (geology) , geology , amateur , astrophysics , physics , astrobiology , archaeology , paleontology , geography , astronomy , chondrite
Two small iron meteorites are reported to have fallen through the dome of an amateur astronomer's observatory near Kirkland, Washington, on January 17, 1955. One is a medium octahedrite. The other lacks Widmanstaetten structure. Both contain abundant schreibersite. In the octrahedral specimen, this occurs as an axial replacement of kamacite bands. The validity of the fall has been challenged: a fire was started and the angle of impact was less than 30° from the horizontal. The writer supports the view that the fall actually occurred as reported.