NASA Expert Says Meteorites Likely Landed In Hamburg Township
January 17, 2018
Hamburg Township was apparently the landing zone for meteorites from last night’s celestial event that captivated the region.
The bright light and what sounded like thunder in the sky above Michigan last night was a meteor, which apparently had a trajectory northwest of Detroit from Brighton to Howell. Bill Cooke with NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office says it was "definitely a meteoroid" and a rare sight for Michigan. The meteor was reported at roughly 8:15pm and was an estimated 2 yards in diameter before breaking up about 20 miles over the Earth. Cooke says meteorites, perhaps 1-2 ounces in size, are likely spread over a 2½-mile area west of Hamburg Township. For those on the hunt, Cooke advises against looking for big boulders, saying it would be more like tossing a rock in the snow and would make a hole. He says so long as the meteorite fell on your property, it's yours to keep but laws are different for public land. Since meteorites are rare, they can be rather valuable.
In addition to firsthand accounts from residents throughout Livingston County, reports also came in from several other states and Ontario, Canada. Some Michigan residents reported their homes shaking. The U.S. Geological Service says it registered as a 2.0 magnitude earthquake in Michigan. Video courtesy of Mike Austin. (JM)