01-09-2008, 12:40 AM
By DIONNA HARRIS,Staff Writer
IRON MOUNTAIN ââ¬â The roof of a home in Iron Mountain has been damaged by a possible meteorite, reports Sandy Barkel, owner of the home at 500 Houghteling Street.
According to Barkel and her fiance, Fred Jump, they heard a crash Saturday afternoon, but didnââ¬â¢t realize that there had been damage to the roof of the home until Sunday when they returned from a shopping trip and noticed it from the street.
ââ¬ÅAt first, I when I heard the crash on Saturday, I thought maybe a car had struck the house,ââ¬Â said Jump. ââ¬ÅIt wasnââ¬â¢t until Sunday when we noticed the roof had sustained damage, approximately 30-inches across.ââ¬Â
At first Jump believed that object that struck the house may have been a chuck of ice, or possibly a meteorite from a meteor shower on Friday evening.
The object may also have been debris dropped from a commercial airliner passing overhead, he said.
ââ¬ÅWhen the object struck the roof, it broke through a half inch of plywood sheeting, and through an inch of the original roof, and through a rafter in the roof truss,ââ¬Â Jump said.
ââ¬ÅThe roof was redone with plywood sheeting and shingles only a month ago,ââ¬Â said Jump.
ââ¬ÅThe amount of force of whatever hit the roof, if it had hit a person, they would have been killed instantly,ââ¬Â he said.
ââ¬ÅIf it had struck a car, I believe the car would have been totaled,ââ¬Â continued Jump.
ââ¬ÅThe odds of an object such as a chunk of space debris (ice) or a meteorite striking are phenomenal.
A search of the surrounding yard following Mondayââ¬â¢s rain, yielded the object, which turned out to be a possibly a chunk of meteorite from Fridayââ¬â¢s meteor shower.
http://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/sto...cleID=9051
IRON MOUNTAIN ââ¬â The roof of a home in Iron Mountain has been damaged by a possible meteorite, reports Sandy Barkel, owner of the home at 500 Houghteling Street.
According to Barkel and her fiance, Fred Jump, they heard a crash Saturday afternoon, but didnââ¬â¢t realize that there had been damage to the roof of the home until Sunday when they returned from a shopping trip and noticed it from the street.
ââ¬ÅAt first, I when I heard the crash on Saturday, I thought maybe a car had struck the house,ââ¬Â said Jump. ââ¬ÅIt wasnââ¬â¢t until Sunday when we noticed the roof had sustained damage, approximately 30-inches across.ââ¬Â
At first Jump believed that object that struck the house may have been a chuck of ice, or possibly a meteorite from a meteor shower on Friday evening.
The object may also have been debris dropped from a commercial airliner passing overhead, he said.
ââ¬ÅWhen the object struck the roof, it broke through a half inch of plywood sheeting, and through an inch of the original roof, and through a rafter in the roof truss,ââ¬Â Jump said.
ââ¬ÅThe roof was redone with plywood sheeting and shingles only a month ago,ââ¬Â said Jump.
ââ¬ÅThe amount of force of whatever hit the roof, if it had hit a person, they would have been killed instantly,ââ¬Â he said.
ââ¬ÅIf it had struck a car, I believe the car would have been totaled,ââ¬Â continued Jump.
ââ¬ÅThe odds of an object such as a chunk of space debris (ice) or a meteorite striking are phenomenal.
A search of the surrounding yard following Mondayââ¬â¢s rain, yielded the object, which turned out to be a possibly a chunk of meteorite from Fridayââ¬â¢s meteor shower.
http://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/sto...cleID=9051