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Meteorite Hunters Scour Ohio for Fragments of 7-Ton Space Rock that Crashed Into Earth
The asteroid released energy equal to 250 tons of TNT and created a pressure wave felt across Northeast Ohio, prompting a surge of meteorite hunters in Medina County.
- Tuesday morning, a daytime fireball from a 7-ton asteroid broke apart around 9 a.m. over Valley City, Ohio, lighting skies from Wisconsin to Maryland and causing a sonic boom heard by tens of thousands.
- Medina County, Ohio, which covers about 425 square miles and has roughly 182,000 residents, is the likely scatter zone for fragments, with medium pieces near Rittman, Ohio, and smaller ones toward Sharon Center, Ohio.
- Collectors on site report early finds, with Roberto Vargas, meteorite collector and dealer, finding a 12.2-gram piece Wednesday and a second '100% fusion crusted' specimen Thursday.
- Hunters must follow the law and cannot walk onto private property amid growing crowds of out-of-towners, while some finders receive cash offers and most meteor fragments remain small and scattered.
- Because the meteoroid traveled more than 34 miles through the atmosphere, MyRadar Weather and NASA suggest large meteorites over 20 pounds could be near Rittman, Ohio, while Vargas estimates hunters seek just 1% of the original seven-ton meteor.
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61 Articles
Inside Ottawa Valley+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Scientist explains massive fireball seen over Ontario this week
Western University research scientist, specializing in meteor physics, says seven-ton meteor released energy similar to the Beirut explosion and left rare rocks in Ohio.
·Ottawa, Canada
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Meteorite chaser says he found 2 pieces in Medina County: 'No rock on Earth looks like this'
A park in the quiet Medina County community of Sharon Center is considered prime hunting ground in the search for fragments of the meteor that blazed across the sky on St. Patrick's Day.
·Cleveland, United States
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The Daily News of NewburyportReposted by 
news-banner.com
news-banner.comMeteorite hunters scour Ohio for fragments of 7-ton space rock
Meteorite hunters are combing Ohio for fragments of a space rock that streaked across the sky earlier this week. The meteoroid broke apart over Valley City on Tuesday, producing a sonic boom. The blast rattled buildings and alarmed residents who…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources61
Leaning Left14Leaning Right4Center33Last UpdatedBias Distribution65% Center
Bias Distribution
- 65% of the sources are Center
65% Center
L 27%
C 65%
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