2002 November 18
The Peekskill meteor of 1992 was captured on
16 independent
videos and then struck a car.
Documented as brighter than the
full Moon, the spectacular fireball crossed parts of several
US states during its 40 seconds of glory before landing in
Peekskill,
New York.
The resulting meteorite,
pictured here, is composed of dense rock
and has the size and mass of an extremely heavy
bowling ball.
If you are
lucky enough to find a
meteorite just after
impact, do
not pick it up -- parts of it are likely to be either
very hot or very cold.
In tonight's possibly spectacular
Leonid meteor shower, few meteors, if any, are expected to
hit the ground.