http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=195110
Now, meteorite samples on geological institute's radar Express India News Service August 1, 2006 Gandhinagar/Rajkot: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Tuesday sent two teams comprising senior GSI officials to Kutch and Saurashtra to collect the samples of meteorites reported to have been witnessed over parts of these regions on Monday night. The GSI authorities have, meanwhile, cautioned ocal people against touching the meteorites if found, for they may contain radioactive material. The samples will be sent to GSI's central repository in Kolkata for detailed study. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Narendra Modi appealed to residents in the region to contact local government officials, if they come across meteorite remains. He stated that it was a rare occurrence and any information on such remains could help in its scientific study. Deputy Director General Dr R S Goyal, GSI, Western Region, who rushed here on Tuesday from his Jaipur headquarters on hearing the news of the meteorite shower, told mediapersons that one team of GSI officials would visit Kutch, while another would visit Rajkot and Jamnagar to interact with local authorities and people and collect details of the meteorites. Goyal said the objects were reported to have been found only in Bandhiya and Vatkar villages of Bhachau taluka in Kutch, while the Rajkot and Jamnagar district collectors had informed him that the meteorites had been only sighted by local people in certain areas, and that nothing was found in these two Saurashtran districts. The GSI officials, armed with radioactivity measuring machines, will first examine the samples for radioactivity and then send them to Kolkata. The repository could take about a month to submit its findings. The GSI official said a vernacular daily in Rajkot had procured some pieces of meteorites from Kutch to be displayed in its office for public viewing. "I called up the proprietors of the daily, advising them to ensure that no one touches the pieces as they may contain radioactive minerals," he said. The official said he had also written to State Chief Secretary Sudhir Mankad, seeking cooperation from district authorities in collecting the samples. Meanwhile those who witnessed the rare meteorite showers on Monday night are yet to get over the shock and awe. "I saw a bright streak of light in the sky falling towards earth around 9.38 pm. I was amazed and very thrilled," said Jatin Rawal of Jamnagar. Some fragments collected in Rapar taluka by the Kutch district administration and in Vanchad village in Samkiyali taluka by a team of Rajkot rural police have been sent for testing to Gandhinagar's GSI office. "Meteorite showers accompanied by a blast was experienced in around 45 villages in Jamnagar and Jodia talukas," said Jamnagar district disaster mamlatdar V Acharya, adding, "We have alerted all the mamlatdars to cordon off the site in case they found some rocks or stones". Meanwhile Goyal also said that in October 2004, a minor meteorite shower had been reported from near the Kaprada village in Valsad, the samples of which were sent to the Kolkata repository for a detailed study which is yet to submit its findings. Yet another meteorite shower was reported from Bherai in Junagadh way back in 1893, and the detailed analysis of its sample had revealed the meteorite contained a mix of iron and rock and had no traces of radioactivity, he said. ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list