UNUSUAL METEORITE

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 29 January 1954, Page 8

UNUSUAL METEORITE

. SEEN AT TAUPO An unusual spectacle seen in the sky south-east from Taupo at 8.35 p.m. on Wednesday night, January 20, and reported by a number of local residents, is assumed to have been a meteorite. / Mr J. S. Armstrong and family saw the phenomenon from their boat in the vicinity of Three Mile Point. It appeared as a ball of brilliant light travelling across the sky to the south-east from right to left. Its path appeared to be of the party considered its path level or almost so. Some members of the party considered its path was ievel, while others thought it inclined downward slightly. Mr Armstrong stated that it disappeared suddenly, giving the impression that it had disintegrated, and that for a moment or two afterward a circular greyish patch was visible in the sky. The party agreed in saying that it was visible for about four or five seconds. The object was also seen by two observers who had been sitting inside in the dusk without switching on their lights. They report that its path appeared to be level, and that it was visible for several seconds. These observers stated that it appeared to have a "tail" resembling flames, a comment also made by some of Mr Armstrong's party. The phenomenon was also reported from the Acacia Bay locality. Meteors vary in size from mere specks up to several hundredweight, and their speed is such that on entering the earth's atmosphere the iriction sets up heats them to incandescence, and though in most cases they are reduced to impalpable dust numbers do fall to the earth. Specimens may be seen in most museums. Ancient history contains many accounts of stones which fell from the sky, but until comparatively recently such stories were regarded by scientific workers as untrustworthy. Later, ample evidence was forthcoming of such occurrences having been seen by reliable observers, and the ancient writers have been, in this respect at least, restored to credit. In the British Museum over three hundred meteorites may be inspected, of which about two hundred were actually seen to fall. So-called sacred stones such as the famous Kaaba at Mecca, have owed their fame to reports probably true, that they fell from heaven. In 1492 a stone weighing 2601b was seen to fall at Alsace and part of it is preserved today in the village church of Ensisheim. In 1795, in Yorkshire, a ploughman saw a stone fall which weighed 561b. In 1803 near L'Aigle, in Normanby, a brilliant fireball was seen travelling at great speed, about an hour after mid-day. A violent explosion followed, accompanied by a shower of thousands of stones, of which one weighed 81b. In 1876 a mas of meteoric iron about 71b in weight fell at Rowton, Shropshire, accompanied by a rumbling noise terminated by a startling explosion. This meteorite was found an hour later, still warm, buried about eighteen inches below the surface of a grass field.