In this frame from a dashboard camera provided by the Portland Police Department, a fireball streaks across the sky early Tuesday, May 17, 2016, in Portland, Maine. The bright flash visible from several states was apparently left by a meteor burning up as it passed through the earth’s atmosphere. (Portland Police Department via AP)
A planetary science field researcher from Arizona is seeking help finding a fireball recorded last week streaking across the sky by police in Maine.
The bright flash was apparently left by a meteor burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.
The U.S. Naval Observatory says the object was probably a space rock somewhere between the size of a toaster and a refrigerator.
The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum suspects the meteor crashed into the woods in northwestern Maine. It’s offering a $20,000 reward for a piece of the meteorite weighing at least 2.2 pounds.
WCSH-TV reports (http://on.wcsh6.com/1TVs1Bu ) people have flocked to Rangely, including researcher Robert Ward. He says the rock must be tested soon or risk having its chemistry changed.
Witnesses are asked to file a report with the American Meteor Society.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense
