Around midnight on March 26, 2003, a bright orange fireball was spotted in the sky which was visible across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. Soon after, reports of falling debris were recorded near the village of Park Forest, Illinois. At least two houses in Park Forest were struck, as well as the fire station. In the following days, this event was officially named the Park Forestmeteorite, as numerous stones or fragments were recovered in the area. The total mass recovered is above and the single largest stone is about. Steven Simon and seven colleagues from the University of Chicago, the Planetary Studies Foundation, Harper College, Pacific Northwest National Lab, and the Field Museum in Chicago have classified the meteorite fragments that fell on Chicago's southern suburbs on the night of March 26, 2003. Described as:
...the most densely populated region to be hit by a meteorite shower in modern times.
It is estimated that the Park Forest meteoroid was at least 900 kilograms, and as large as 7000 kilograms upon entering the atmosphere.
Composition and classification
From page A207 of
Most stones are partly to fully fusion-crusted. Some broken faces show brecciated texture, angular clasts. Cross-cutting dark veins and dark pockets may be of impact melt origin. No visible chondrules in hand sample. Abundant troilite and metal visible in some broken faces. Chondrules and maskelynite are visible in thin section. Mean olivine composition Fa24.7, mean low-Ca pyroxene Fs20.7Wo1.6. Shock stage S5. Specimens: type specimen 515 g, FMNH. Other stones at FMNH: 1200 g, 529 g, 183 g, 159 g, 125 g.
Specimens
At least twelve samples of this meteorite are conserved within the at the Field Museum of Natural History of Chicago. While these specimens are not currently on display, they are available for research purposes through the museum. It is claimed that a large piece which fell through the kitchen ceiling of one Park Forest couple is periodically displayed at the Adler Planetarium.
