Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science
METEORITE FALLS

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

DATE/TIME

8/22/2012 @ 06:16 UTC

8/22/2012
06:16 UTC

LAT/LONG

40.64717 • -117.16569

40.64717
-117.16569

This is an estimated landing site map for this fall, color coded according to mass. Red is kg-mass meteorites, scaling down to yellow single-gram stones.

STREWN FIELD

This is an estimated landing site map for this fall, color coded according to mass. Red is kg-mass meteorites, scaling down to yellow single-gram stones.

SUMMARY

This meteorite fall was a very large but lightly reported fireball that occurred at 11:16 AM local time on 21 August 2012, or 22 Aug 2012 06:16:49 UTC. The fireball was sparsely reported due to its remote location but produced a large number of meteorites and only 11 eyewitnesses reported it to the American Meteor Society across California, Nevada, and Idaho. No sonic booms were reported to AMS, as no local eyewitnesses reported the event.

A large number of meteorites have been recovered from this event.

This event is recorded as American Meteor Society event number 1192 for 2012. Signatures of falling meteorites can be found in imagery from one nearby weather radars. In the NEXRAD weather radar network operated by NOAA, the KLRX (Elko, NV) radar records signatures of falling meteorites.

The first appearance of falling meteorites on radar occurs at 06:19:27 UTC and 3,150 m above sea level (ASL) in the 0617 UTC data set for the KLRX radar in the 2.4 degree elevation radar sweep. Signatures consistent with falling meteorites appear in a total of eight radar sweeps from the radar, with a final signature appearing at 06:21:03 UTC.

Calculations of mass and total number of meteorites based on weather radar data indicate that this meteorite fall is approximately 0.4x the total mass of the Park Forest, IL meteorite fall in 2003. This fall’s fragmentation behavior may be unusual based on eyewitness reports, however. Eyewitnesses reported a very large fragment that survived the fireball and continued down-range, glowing and descending to low altitude further to the southwest of the strewn field. If this mass is found, the total mass of this fall may be significantly increased over the calculated value.  

Meteorites recovered from this event have been classified by the Meteoritical Society as an L6 chondrite.

LEARN MORE

RADAR & MAPS

This composite image shows all the radar signatures from falling meteorites as blue/gray polygons. The Battle Mountain meteorite fall resulted in recovery of a large number of meteorites.

RADAR SUMMARY

This composite image shows all the radar signatures from falling meteorites as blue/gray polygons. The Battle Mountain meteorite fall resulted in recovery of a large number of meteorites.

GET DIRECTIONS

Click on the View larger map link that is displayed in the address box above in order to get directions to the strewn field area.

EVENTS TO DATE

Learn more about other fall events and possible landing sites that have been identified across the United States.

EVENT UPDATES

Find out more about recent searches and possible discoveries that have taken place around the United States.

METEORITES 101

This step-by-step guide will show you how to locate possible meteorite fall sites using radar software and weather data along with info provided by reporting agencies and monitoring systems.
These instructions will show you how to best preserve the meteorites you discover and how to make contact with the organizations that are willing to accept and analyze your find.
Don't know exactly what a meteorite is, what they are made of or where they come from? If that's the case, we have provided a mini-"crash" course in what you need to know about them.
It turns out that meteorites have provided us a lot of scientific insight, not only into the origins of our solar system and planet Earth, but what the future might hold for mankind.
There's a lot going on in the study of meteorites, both here at NASA and in other places. Here are a few links to the people and institutions who are leading the research in this field.
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