First meteorite recovery based on observations by the Finnish Fireball Network
Abstract
We present a summary of the trajectory reconstruction, dark flight simulations and pre-impact orbit for a bright fireball that appeared in the night sky over the Kola Peninsula, close to the Finnish border, on April 18 2014, at 22h14m13.0s (UTC). The fireball was instrumentally recorded in Finland from Kuusamo, Mikkeli and Muhos observing sites belonging to the Finnish Fireball Network. Additionally, a publicly available video made by Alexandr Nesterov in Snezhnogorsk (Russia), from the opposite side of the fireball track, was carefully calibrated and taken into account in the trajectory reconstruction. Based on a thorough analysis of the fireball, it was concluded that part of the meteoroid survived atmospheric entry and reached the ground. To further specify an impact area for a dedicated expedition, dark flight simulations were done to build a strewn field map showing the most probable distribution of fragments. A 5-day expedition with 4 participants from Russia and Finland took place at the end of May following snow melt and preceding vegetation growth. On May 29, 2014, a first 120.35 g meteorite fragment was found on a local forest road within the predicted impact area. A second 47.54 g meteorite fragment, fully covered with a fusion crust, was recovered nearby on the following day. Both pieces were preserved in very good condition without apparent weathering.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the International Meteor Conference, Giron, France, 18-21 September 2014
- Pub Date:
- February 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014pim4.conf..162G