Sikhote-Alin meteorite
| Sikhote-Alin | |
|---|---|
Thumbprinted Sikhote-Alin sample
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| Type | Iron |
| Structural classification | Octahedrite, coarsest |
| Group | IIAB |
| Composition | 93% Fe, 5.9% Ni, 0.42% Co, 0.46% P, 0.28% S |
| Country | Russia |
| Region |
Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Primorsky Krai, Far Eastern Federal District |
| Coordinates | 46°09′36″N 134°39′12″E / 46.16000°N 134.65333°ECoordinates: 46°09′36″N 134°39′12″E / 46.16000°N 134.65333°E |
| Observed fall | Yes |
| Fall date | February 12, 1947 |
| TKW | >28 tonnes (31 short tons) (est. 70 metric tons) |
| Strewn field | Yes |
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Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Primorsky Krai,
An iron meteorite fell on the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, in southeastern Russia, in 1947. Though large iron meteorite falls had been witnessed previously and fragments recovered, never before in recorded history had a fall of this magnitude been observed. An estimated 70 tonnes (metric tons) of material survived the fiery passage through the atmosphere and reached the Earth.
At around 10:30 on 12 February 1947, eyewitnesses in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Primorye, Soviet Union, observed a large bolide brighter than the Sun that came out of the north and descended at an angle of about 41 degrees. The bright flash and the deafening sound of the fall were observed for 300 kilometres (190 mi) around the point of impact not far from Luchegorsk and approximately 440 km (270 mi) northeast of Vladivostok. A smoke trail, estimated at 32 km (20 mi) long, remained in the sky for several hours.
As the meteor, traveling at a speed of about 14 km/s (8.7 mi/s), entered the atmosphere, it began to break apart, and the fragments fell together. At an altitude of about 5.6 km (3.5 mi), the largest mass apparently broke up in a violent explosion called an air burst.
On November 20, 1957 the Soviet Union issued a stamp for the 10th anniversary of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite shower. It reproduces a painting by P. I. Medvedev, a Soviet artist who witnessed the fall: he was sitting in his window starting a sketch when the fireball appeared, so he immediately began drawing what he saw.
Because the meteor fell during daytime, it was observed by many eyewitnesses. Evaluation of this observational data allowed V. G. Fesenkov, then chairman of the meteorite committee of the USSR Academy of Science, to estimate the meteoroid's orbit before it encountered the Earth. This orbit was ellipse-shaped, with its point of greatest distance from the sun situated within the asteroid belt, similar to many other small bodies crossing the orbit of the Earth. Such an orbit was probably created by collisions within the asteroid belt.
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Wikipedia