2016 February Tamil Nadu meteorite incident: Difference between revisions

Created by Kent G. Budge
Last edited July 9, 2023
>Kent G. Budge
Stub out an article. There was a substantial flurry of media attention, so this must be regarded as a notable event. Unfortunately, very little follow-up information to write a full article.
 
UpdateBot (talk | contribs)
m robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{update|date=June 2022}}
On February 8, 2016, a number of media outlets reported that a bus driver had been killed and three others injured by a possible [[meteorite]] fall in [[Tamil Nadu]], India. A falling object reportedly left a crater {{convert|4|ft||}} deep and smashed windows on the campus of [[Bharathidasan Engineering College]], in addition to inflicting the injuries.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |last1=Auger |first1=Monika |title=Authorities: Meteorite Killed Man in India |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/asia/india-meteorite-man-killed/index.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=8 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="zee">{{cite news |work=ZeeNews |title=It was meteorite that killed a person in Vellore: Study |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/tamil-nadu/it-was-meteorite-that-killed-a-person-in-vellore-study_1855995.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |date=9 February 2016}}</ref> Others in the area reported hearing an unusual sound and seeing a smoke stripe, and police reported finding rock fragments embedded in the driver's body.<ref name="phys-org">{{cite web |title=Scientists study India's deadly 'meteorite' (Update) |url=https://phys.org/news/2016-02-scientists-india-deadly-meteorite.html |website=phys.org |access-date=29 April 2021}}</ref>
On February 8, 2016, a number of media outlets reported that a bus driver had been killed and three others injured by a possible [[meteorite]] fall in [[Tamil Nadu]], India. A falling object reportedly left a crater {{convert|4|ft||}} deep and smashed windows on the campus of [[Bharathidasan Engineering College]], in addition to inflicting the injuries.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |last1=Auger |first1=Monika |title=Authorities: Meteorite Killed Man in India |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/asia/india-meteorite-man-killed/index.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=8 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="zee">{{cite news |work=ZeeNews |title=It was meteorite that killed a person in Vellore: Study |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/tamil-nadu/it-was-meteorite-that-killed-a-person-in-vellore-study_1855995.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |date=9 February 2016}}</ref> Others in the area reported hearing an unusual sound and seeing a smoke stripe, and police reported finding rock fragments embedded in the driver's body.<ref name="phys-org">{{cite web |title=Scientists study India's deadly 'meteorite' (Update) |url=https://phys.org/news/2016-02-scientists-india-deadly-meteorite.html |website=phys.org |access-date=29 April 2021}}</ref>


A small ({{convert|11|g||}}<ref name="abc">{{cite news |title=Astrophysicists analyse 'meteorite' that killed bus driver, shattered windows in India |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-10/scientists-study-deadly-meteorite-india/7154232 |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=ABC News |date=9 February 2016}}</ref>) blue object was recovered from the scene that attracted a magnet, and some experts suggested it could be a fragment of a space vehicle.<ref name="phys-org"/> Authorities suspected an explosion of abandoned [[Gelignite|gelatine]] sticks, but no traces of explosives were found. Dipankar Banerjee of the [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]] expressed skeptism that the object was a meteorite,<ref name="NIE">{{cite news |last1=Chandrashekar |first1=Nandini |title=Vellore Rock Unlikely to Be A Meteorite, Says Astro Prof |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/feb/07/Vellore-Rock-Unlikely-to-Be-A-Meteorite-Says-Astro-Prof-889568.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=The New Indian Express |date=7 February 2016}}</ref> as did Lindley Johnson, [[NASA]]'s planetary defense officer.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Hauser |first1=Christine |title=That Wasn’t a Meteorite That Killed a Man in India, NASA Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/world/asia/that-wasnt-a-meteorite-that-killed-a-man-in-india-nasa-says.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=New York Times |date=9 February 2016}}</ref> Other experts concluded that a meteorite so small could not have created a crater as large as the one reported.<ref name="abc"/>
A small ({{convert|11|g||}}<ref name="abc">{{cite news |title=Astrophysicists analyse 'meteorite' that killed bus driver, shattered windows in India |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-10/scientists-study-deadly-meteorite-india/7154232 |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=ABC News |date=9 February 2016}}</ref>) blue object was recovered from the scene that attracted a magnet, and some experts suggested it could be a fragment of a space vehicle.<ref name="phys-org"/> Authorities suspected an explosion of abandoned [[Gelignite|gelatine]] sticks, but no traces of explosives were found. Dipankar Banerjee of the [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]] expressed skepticism that the object was a meteorite,<ref name="NIE">{{cite news |last1=Chandrashekar |first1=Nandini |title=Vellore Rock Unlikely to Be A Meteorite, Says Astro Prof |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2016/feb/07/Vellore-Rock-Unlikely-to-Be-A-Meteorite-Says-Astro-Prof-889568.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=The New Indian Express |date=7 February 2016}}</ref> as did Lindley Johnson, [[NASA]]'s planetary defense officer.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Hauser |first1=Christine |title=That Wasn’t a Meteorite That Killed a Man in India, NASA Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/world/asia/that-wasnt-a-meteorite-that-killed-a-man-in-india-nasa-says.html |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=New York Times |date=9 February 2016}}</ref> Other experts concluded that a meteorite so small could not have created a crater as large as the one reported.<ref name="abc"/>


Officials of the [[National College, Tiruchirapalli]], insisted that the object was a [[carbonaceous chondrite]] meteorite and designated it as BEC 1.<ref name="zee"/>
Officials of the [[National College, Tiruchirapalli]], insisted that the object was a [[carbonaceous chondrite]] meteorite and designated it as BEC 1.<ref name="zee"/>


If the object was a meteorite, the incident would be the first confirmed death of a human due to a meteorite in recorded history.<ref name="wsj"/><ref name="abc"/>
If the object was a meteorite, the incident would be the first confirmed death of a human due to a meteorite in recorded history.<ref name="wsj"/><ref name="abc"/>
==See also==
*[[List of unsolved deaths]]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 04:51, 21 June 2022

On February 8, 2016, a number of media outlets reported that a bus driver had been killed and three others injured by a possible meteorite fall in Tamil Nadu, India. A falling object reportedly left a crater 4 feet (1.2 m) deep and smashed windows on the campus of Bharathidasan Engineering College, in addition to inflicting the injuries.[1][2] Others in the area reported hearing an unusual sound and seeing a smoke stripe, and police reported finding rock fragments embedded in the driver's body.[3]

A small (11 grams (0.39 oz)[4]) blue object was recovered from the scene that attracted a magnet, and some experts suggested it could be a fragment of a space vehicle.[3] Authorities suspected an explosion of abandoned gelatine sticks, but no traces of explosives were found. Dipankar Banerjee of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics expressed skepticism that the object was a meteorite,[5] as did Lindley Johnson, NASA's planetary defense officer.[6] Other experts concluded that a meteorite so small could not have created a crater as large as the one reported.[4]

Officials of the National College, Tiruchirapalli, insisted that the object was a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite and designated it as BEC 1.[2]

If the object was a meteorite, the incident would be the first confirmed death of a human due to a meteorite in recorded history.[1][4]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Auger, Monika (8 February 2016). "Authorities: Meteorite Killed Man in India". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "It was meteorite that killed a person in Vellore: Study". ZeeNews. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Scientists study India's deadly 'meteorite' (Update)". phys.org. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Astrophysicists analyse 'meteorite' that killed bus driver, shattered windows in India". ABC News. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  5. Chandrashekar, Nandini (7 February 2016). "Vellore Rock Unlikely to Be A Meteorite, Says Astro Prof". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  6. Hauser, Christine (9 February 2016). "That Wasn't a Meteorite That Killed a Man in India, NASA Says". New York Times. Retrieved 29 April 2021.