Connecticut house struck by meteorite.

Larry Beck of Wolcott, Connecticut, was disturbed by a loud crashing noise at 10.30 pm local time on Friday 19 April 2013 (2.30 am on Saturday 20 April GMT), which was accompanied by the appearance of a crack in the ceiling of his kitchen. When he investigated the next morning he found a hole in his roof and a chunk of rock on the floor of his attic. He was persuaded by a friend to take this to the Peabody Museum in New Haven, where Mineralogy Collections Manager Stefan Nicolescu confirmed the rock to be a meteorite.

The Wolcott Meteorite. 7 News.

Nicolescu described the meteorite as an ordinary chondrite, with a thin black fusion crust from its passage through the atmosphere. Ordinary Chondrites (or Stoney Chondrites) are the most abundant form of meteorite, forming roughly 87% of all known specimens. They contain a mixture of iron, iron oxides and silicates, this one appeared to be have a fairly high iron content, and was able to attract a magnet (again, this is quite common). Nicolescu also suggests that due to the time when this meteorite fell that there is a good chance that it is part of the Lyrid Meteor Shower, which would also imply that it is originally a chunk of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher (named after the astronomer A. E. Thatcher, not the politician).

Stefan Nicolescu demonstrating the magnetic properties of the Wolcott Meteorite. Melanie Brigockas/Yale.

See also The Lyrid Meteors, Fireball over Wyoming, Fireball over the northeastern United States, Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) to reach its closest point to Earth this week and 99942 Apophis to fly by the Earth.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

The Lyrid Meteors.

The Lyrid Meteors will be at peak visibility between 21 and 22 April  this year, though this is close to a full moon (which occurs on the 25th), so the display will not be good. The meteors, which appear to radiate from the constellation of Lyra, have been visible since the 16th, and will continue till 26 April. At its peak the Lyrid Meteor shower typically produces about 20 meteors per hour, though higher rates have been recorded.

The origin point of the Lyrid Meteors. SpaceWeather.com.

The Lyrid Meteors are comprised of debris from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher (named after the astronomer A. E. Thatcher, not the politician). This is a long-period comet that spends most of its time in the Oort Cloud, only visiting the inner Solar System once every 415 years, the last occasion being in 1861. When the comet visits the inner Solar System it is heated by the Sun, melting the ices that make up its surface and releasing a trail of dust, which continues to follow the path of the comet. The Earth passes through this trail in April each year, creating a light show as the dust particles burn in the upper atmosphere.

The orbit and current position of C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Image created using the JPL Small-Body Database Browser.

See also Fireball over Wyoming, Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) to reach its closest point to Earth this week, The Earth approaches its perihelion, The Southern Solstice and Possible second meteor shower to coincide with the Geminids.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.