Rare rock sparks unique hunting experience in Norway
By
Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and content supervisor
Updated Jul 26, 2021 5:12 PM EST
A meteor was spotted in the night sky over Austin, Dallas, the Brazos Valley and a wide swath of Texas on July 25.
Hunters are heading to the woods near the most populated city in Norway, but they are not searching for an animal.
A rock from space is believed to have crashed to Earth in Finnemarka, a large wooded area west of Oslo, Norway, after an incredibly bright meteor streaked across the sky over the weekend, The Guardian reported.
No damage or injuries have been reported, but people all across the region reported seeing the bright meteor early Sunday morning. A few observers even felt a breeze that could have originated from the rock hurtling through the atmosphere.
It is unclear if a piece of the meteor reached the ground, but if it did, it would have likely landed in Finnemarka. Once a meteor reaches the ground, it is considered a meteorite.
"What we had last night was a large rock traveling likely from between Mars and Jupiter, which is our asteroid belt. And when that whizzes in, it creates a rumble, light and great excitement among us (experts) and maybe some fear among others," Morten Billet told Reuters.
Billet works for The Norwegian Meteor network and is one of the people that saw the fireball on Sunday.
A fireball lights up the night sky on Aug. 1, 2017. This was not the fireball that was spotted over Norway on July 25, 2021. (Image/Austin Houser)
The majority of meteors that enter Earth’s atmosphere are small, around the size of a pebble or grain of sand, and give off light as they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Rocks this size often completely burn up before reaching the ground.
Meteors that are a bit larger can burn much brighter, occasionally appearing brighter than any star or planet in the sky. These are often called fireballs, and if they are big enough, a piece can make it down to the surface.
According to the American Meteor Society, observers may only see one fireball for every 200 hours that they spend under the night sky looking for meteors.
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Even if a chunk of the space rock managed to reach the surface, finding it will be no easy task.
It could take “10 years” for one person to find the meteorite in the forest given the terrain, Bilet told Reuters.
It is possible that a meteorite could create a small crater, but it likely wouldn't be significant from this event.
more space & astronomy
Meteorites are very rare to come by, but they are unique from most rocks on Earth. According to the USGS, meteorites have a few qualities that make them different from terrestrial rocks.
Most meteorites have an unusual shape, are heavier than other rocks their size and are slightly magnetic.
Additionally, if you break open one of these space rocks, they will appear to have a thin outer crust. This is the part of the rock that melted as it burned up in the atmosphere.
Robert Ward displays one of two pieces of a meteorite he found at a park in Lotus, Calif., Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Ward found the pieces from a meteor that was probably about the size of a minivan when it entered the Earth's atmosphere with a loud boom about 8 a.m. Sunday. The rocks came from a meteor, believed to be between 4 to 5 billion years old. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
More fireballs could be seen this week due to the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower, which peaks later this week.
This meteor shower only produces around five shooting stars per hour, but it is known for its fireballs.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Astronomy
Rare rock sparks unique hunting experience in Norway
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and content supervisor
Updated Jul 26, 2021 5:12 PM EST
A meteor was spotted in the night sky over Austin, Dallas, the Brazos Valley and a wide swath of Texas on July 25.
Hunters are heading to the woods near the most populated city in Norway, but they are not searching for an animal.
A rock from space is believed to have crashed to Earth in Finnemarka, a large wooded area west of Oslo, Norway, after an incredibly bright meteor streaked across the sky over the weekend, The Guardian reported.
No damage or injuries have been reported, but people all across the region reported seeing the bright meteor early Sunday morning. A few observers even felt a breeze that could have originated from the rock hurtling through the atmosphere.
It is unclear if a piece of the meteor reached the ground, but if it did, it would have likely landed in Finnemarka. Once a meteor reaches the ground, it is considered a meteorite.
"What we had last night was a large rock traveling likely from between Mars and Jupiter, which is our asteroid belt. And when that whizzes in, it creates a rumble, light and great excitement among us (experts) and maybe some fear among others," Morten Billet told Reuters.
Billet works for The Norwegian Meteor network and is one of the people that saw the fireball on Sunday.
A fireball lights up the night sky on Aug. 1, 2017. This was not the fireball that was spotted over Norway on July 25, 2021. (Image/Austin Houser)
The majority of meteors that enter Earth’s atmosphere are small, around the size of a pebble or grain of sand, and give off light as they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Rocks this size often completely burn up before reaching the ground.
Meteors that are a bit larger can burn much brighter, occasionally appearing brighter than any star or planet in the sky. These are often called fireballs, and if they are big enough, a piece can make it down to the surface.
According to the American Meteor Society, observers may only see one fireball for every 200 hours that they spend under the night sky looking for meteors.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Even if a chunk of the space rock managed to reach the surface, finding it will be no easy task.
It could take “10 years” for one person to find the meteorite in the forest given the terrain, Bilet told Reuters.
It is possible that a meteorite could create a small crater, but it likely wouldn't be significant from this event.
more space & astronomy
Meteorites are very rare to come by, but they are unique from most rocks on Earth. According to the USGS, meteorites have a few qualities that make them different from terrestrial rocks.
Most meteorites have an unusual shape, are heavier than other rocks their size and are slightly magnetic.
Additionally, if you break open one of these space rocks, they will appear to have a thin outer crust. This is the part of the rock that melted as it burned up in the atmosphere.
Robert Ward displays one of two pieces of a meteorite he found at a park in Lotus, Calif., Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Ward found the pieces from a meteor that was probably about the size of a minivan when it entered the Earth's atmosphere with a loud boom about 8 a.m. Sunday. The rocks came from a meteor, believed to be between 4 to 5 billion years old. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
More fireballs could be seen this week due to the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower, which peaks later this week.
This meteor shower only produces around five shooting stars per hour, but it is known for its fireballs.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo