Sylacauga (meteorite)
Encyclopedia
The Sylacauga meteorite
fell on November 30, 1954 at 2:46pm (18:46 U.T.) near the town of Sylacauga
, Alabama
. Although officially known as the Sylacauga meteorite, it is often referred to as the Hodges meteorite because a fragment of it struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges (1923–1972).
The Sylacauga meteorite is the first documented extraterrestrial
object to have injured a human being. The grapefruit
-sized fragment crashed through the roof of a frame house in Oak Grove
, Alabama
, bounced off a large wooden console radio
, and hit Hodges while she napped on a couch. The 31-year-old woman was badly bruised on one side of her body but able to walk. The event received worldwide publicity.
The Sylacauga meteorite is not the only extraterrestrial object to have struck a human. In 1992 a very small fragment (3 g) of Mbale meteorite hit a young Ugandan boy, but it had been slowed down by a tree and did not cause any injury.
made a fireball visible from three states as it streaked through the atmosphere
, even though it fell early in the afternoon.
sent a helicopter
to take the meteorite. Eugene Hodges, the husband of the woman who was struck, hired a lawyer to get it back. The Hodges' landlord, Bertie Guy, also claimed it, wanting to sell it to cover the damage to the house. There were offers of up to $5,000 for the meteorite. By the time it was returned to the Hodgeses, over a year later, public attention had diminished and they were unable to find a buyer willing to pay.
Ann Hodges was uncomfortable with the public attention and the stress of the dispute over ownership of the meteorite. Against her husband's wishes, she donated it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History
.
the Sylacauga meteorite fragmented in at least 3 pieces:
of H4 group
.
came in on the sunward side of the Earth
, so when it hit our planet
it had passed the perihelion and was travelling outward from the Sun
. Considering the orbit estimations, the best candidate as parent body is 1685 Toro
.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
fell on November 30, 1954 at 2:46pm (18:46 U.T.) near the town of Sylacauga
Sylacauga, Alabama
Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 12,616.Nicknames for Sylacauga include: "The Marble City," "Buzzard's Roost" and "Sly Town"....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Although officially known as the Sylacauga meteorite, it is often referred to as the Hodges meteorite because a fragment of it struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges (1923–1972).
The Sylacauga meteorite is the first documented extraterrestrial
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
object to have injured a human being. The grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
-sized fragment crashed through the roof of a frame house in Oak Grove
Oak Grove, Alabama
Oak Grove is a town in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census, the population was 457.Its name is identical to the unincorporated community west of Hueytown where an F5 tornado struck the high school on April 8, 1998.-Geography:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, bounced off a large wooden console radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, and hit Hodges while she napped on a couch. The 31-year-old woman was badly bruised on one side of her body but able to walk. The event received worldwide publicity.
The Sylacauga meteorite is not the only extraterrestrial object to have struck a human. In 1992 a very small fragment (3 g) of Mbale meteorite hit a young Ugandan boy, but it had been slowed down by a tree and did not cause any injury.
Fireball
The meteorMETEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
made a fireball visible from three states as it streaked through the atmosphere
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
, even though it fell early in the afternoon.
Following events
The United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
sent a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to take the meteorite. Eugene Hodges, the husband of the woman who was struck, hired a lawyer to get it back. The Hodges' landlord, Bertie Guy, also claimed it, wanting to sell it to cover the damage to the house. There were offers of up to $5,000 for the meteorite. By the time it was returned to the Hodgeses, over a year later, public attention had diminished and they were unable to find a buyer willing to pay.
Ann Hodges was uncomfortable with the public attention and the stress of the dispute over ownership of the meteorite. Against her husband's wishes, she donated it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History
Alabama Museum of Natural History
The Alabama Museum of Natural History is the state's natural history museum, located in Smith Hall at the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. The oldest museum in the state, it was founded in 1831. The exhibits depict the natural diversity of Alabama from the Age of Dinosaurs, the Coal Age,...
.
Fragments
Upon the entry within the atmosphereAtmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
the Sylacauga meteorite fragmented in at least 3 pieces:
- The Hodges fragment (3.86 kg - 33°11′18.1"N 86°17′40.2"W) struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges.
- The McKinney fragment (1.68 kg - 33°13′08.4"N 86°17′20.7"W) was found the next day.
- A third fragment is believed to have impacted somewhere near Childersburg (a few km north-west of Oak Grove).
Classification
The Sylacauga meteorite is classified as an ordinary chondriteOrdinary chondrite
The Ordinary chondrites are a class of stony chondritic meteorites. They are by far the most numerous group and comprise about 87% of all finds...
of H4 group
H chondrite
The H type ordinary chondrites are the most common type of meteorite, accounting for approximately 40% of all those catalogued, 46% of the ordinary chondrites, and 44% of the chondrites....
.
Orbit
The meteoroidMeteoroid
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite...
came in on the sunward side of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, so when it hit our planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
it had passed the perihelion and was travelling outward from the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. Considering the orbit estimations, the best candidate as parent body is 1685 Toro
1685 Toro
1685 Toro is an Apollo asteroid that orbits the Sun in an 8:5 resonance with Earth, and a 13:5 resonance with Venus. Because of this unusual orbit, it is sometimes referenced as "Earth's second satellite"....
.
External links and references
- The Sylacauga, Talladega County, Alabama, Aerolite. Swindel, G.W. & Jones, W.B. - Journal: Meteoritics, volume 1, number 2, page 125.
- University of Alabama News: 50th Anniversary of Hodges Meteorite
- Alabama Museum of Natural History: Hodges Meteorite
- The Birmingham News: A star really did fall on Alabama
- The Decatur Daily (on-line edition): A star fell on Sylacauga November 30, 2006.