Falling 'fireball' meteorite seen on Maine radar for first time, NASA says
WAITE, Maine - There was an out-of-this world event in Maine this weekend, NASA has confirmed. Researchers say that for the first time in the state, a meteorite was detected on radar falling to the ground.
It happened Saturday just before noon, northeast of Bangor near the border with Canada. The space agency's ARES division (Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science) said there were eyewitness reports in the area of a "fireball that was bright even in midday, followed by loud sonic booms."
NASA showed a strewn field, or area where meteorites might fall, straddling the Maine-Canada border. The mass of the meteorite fragments detected likely ranged from only a few grams to a few ounces, "although larger masses may have fallen," researchers noted.
CBS affiliate WABI in Bangor said that so far, there are no reports of anyone finding actual meteorite pieces on the ground.
