| Homestead | |
|---|---|
 20.4 g partial slice taken from the 450 g fragment that resided in the AMNH for over a century | |
| Type | Chondrite |
| Class | Ordinary chondrite |
| Group | L5 |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41°48′N 91°52′W / 41.800°N 91.867°W[1] |
| Observed fall | Yes |
| Fall date | 1875-02-12 |
| TKW | 230 kg |
| Strewn field | Yes |
| Alternative names | Amana, Iowa County |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
Homestead is a L5 meteorite fallen in 1875 in Iowa, United States.
History
On the evening of 12 February 1875 above Iowa a brilliant fireball was observed. About 100 meteorite fragments fell over a 18-square-mile (47 km2) snowy countryside area from Amana to Boltonville in Iowa County. The first found fragment, a stone weighing about 3.5 kilograms (7.7 lb), was discovered by Sarah Sherlock 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Homestead.[2] The area was wooded and covered by snow, impeding recovery efforts. On 10 February a 40 centimetres (16 in) snowfall blanketed the ground, preventing the great majority of the fragments from being discovered until Spring. The 74 pounds (34 kg) main mass was found along with a 48 pounds (22 kg) fragment buried 2 feet (0.61 m) in the soil.[2]
As of December 2011, approximately 230 kilograms (510 lb) has been found.
Homestead meteorite strewnfield
1875 drawing of some fragments
Crusted edge
Composition and classification
It is a L5 type ordinary chondrite. It is also brecciated and veined.
Notes
- ↑ Meteoritical Bulletin Database: Homestead
- 1 2 Paul Garvin, Iowa's minerals: their occurrence, origins, industries, and lore. University of Iowa Press, 1998. 187
Bibliography
- Ivanova, M. A.; Krot, A. N.; Mitreikina, O. B.; Zinovieva, N. G., "Chromite-rich Inclusions in the Homestead (L5) Chondrite", Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, volume 23, page 585, 03/1992.
See also
External links
