Osceola Florida
Osceola Meteorite Recovery
*UPDATE* Â Alan Rubin of UCLA has produced a new paper about Osceola and can be viewed at the bottom of the page, and I have recently learned that Osceola is one of only 33 meteorites with a known orbit!
Go to Mikes website to read an excellent report he wrote.
http://www.mikesastrophotos.com/comets/osceola-meteorite-recovery/
space.com article
http://www.space.com/32048-fireball-meteorite-hunt-photos-osceola-florida.html
The road leading into the strewn field couldn’t have had a better name!
Upon arrival my heart sinks, the terrain looks quit inhospitable.
The sand roads might be our only hope, but as we drove down the main road that runs through the heart of it all we realize it was graded today! Things are really looking bad now.
Mike makes the first find of the Florida event! It’s also his first meteorite find ever. Couldn’t ask for anything better!
The first find, 8.5 grams of fusion crusted success!!! Good job Mike.
The first stone from the fall, now it’s time to get busy!
About 1.5 hours after Mike’s initial find I score the second find from the fall! 18.5 grams.
Brendan and Laura are stoked!
Laura achieves success! 5.5 grams of crusty goodness!
You can see some roll over on Laura’s find, sensational!
Mike’s second find and it’s in the mud puddle.
Mike’s second find, 48.5 grams.
The interior of my 18.5 gram stone. This is a portion of the type specimen at UCLA. The required balance was taken from the main mass.
Osceola FL. Main Mass
The 839 gram stone as found. It’s just about even with the ground. Good eye! photo Brendan Fallon
She’s out of the hole. Photo Brendan Fallon
839.15 gram Florida Main Mass. Found by Josh Adkins.
75.5g, 100% Crusted
It took a lot of searching to find my second stone. 75.5g, 100% crusted.
Rebecca at channel 4 in Jacksonville Fl. holding my second find.
See the news report here:
http://www.news4jax.com/web/wjxt/news/hunters-find-meteorites-in-the-osceola-national-forest
Other Photos
A beautiful arrowhead perched on sand.
Can you see the walking stick insect at the right of my finger?
Old hunting stand.
Brendan’s doing his part, that’s a bag of trash he’s carrying, stuff he’s collected while hunting meteorites. Outstanding.
Cricket Frog
What a fine suit of camouflage this insect wears (Florida Bark Mantis).
Osceola turkey
Osceola Turkey track.
The track of a young Florida black bear.
What in the world is this? It was on a tree stump and is only about .75 inch tall. If anyone knows what it is please let me know. (Resin Bubble)
Darryl presents… A big snake!
Gopher Tortoise
Carnivorous Pitcher Plants
At the end of the day, ya gotta eat! Darryl, Laura, Me and Brent.
Another short tempered Cotton Mouth!
A small fish thrives in nothing more than flooded forest.
This forest is really just a big tree farm.
A short walk through some dry grass resulted in these fashionable shoes!
A large hog wallow from the wild boar that roam these parts.
Josh got stuck! We didn’t get him out until the next day. My Uncle Brent came in with his 4×4 Dodge and saved the day!
The red truck had to pull him out in reverse, there was no way to get in front of Josh’s car, unless you made the 1.5 hour trip around the forest and came in from the other side!
Laura Atkins, Mike Hankey, Me.
Article by Alan E. Rubin
Here’s the important info alluded to at the top of the page. A big congratulations and thank you goes out to Alan Rubin.
