meteorite hits Mexico leaves 100 ft. crater, surprised people

[ensho]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?smp=&lang=eng


A meteorite has smashed into the ground in Mexico, leaving a 30 meter (100 feet) wide crater, reports said. The meteorite impact was in the Ahuazotepec Municipality in Central Mexico between the cities of Puebla and Hidalgo. The precise impact area of the meteorite was in a relatively unpopulated area and hit around 6.30pm local time, Mexican media said. The Ahuazotepec, Mexico meteorite impact was so massive it broke windows in homes many kilometers from the epicenter and people reported buildings swaying and mass confusion. Other reports said the Mexico meteorite impact partially damaged a road and a bridge. The Mexican military was called in to lock down the area where the apparent space rock slammed into the ground. Initial fears where that the impact was a aircraft crashing to the ground, but that report was later dismissed. The Central Mexico meteorite event was witnessed by countless people in the region of the impact, with people as far away as Mexico City saying they saw the burning object enter the atmosphere.
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[aquart]

1. Casualties?

[redqueen]

2. Yikes...

glad it didn't hit a more densely populated area.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Well, yes, I suppose that would be a surprise.

:D

[a la izquierda]

4. holy crap!

i'll have to see if my friends in mexico city saw it.

[Robb]

5. Your link doesn't go anywhere particularly helpful.

This may help. http://www.milenio.com/&sl=es&tl=en">Google translation because my Spanish is absurdly poor... scroll down to the meteorite story.

...There is no indication or evidence of what fell on Wednesday afternoon between the towns of Ahuazotepec and Cuautepec, they said the director of Civil Protection in Hidalgo, Miguel Garcia Conde....

[slackmaster]

6. Weather balloon

Or dry-cleaning bags filled with marsh gas.

[FarCenter]

7. Do not approach the vehicle at the bottom of the crater!!!

I've seen this before on TV -- something bad always happens.

[Javaman]

10. "wait a second folks, something is happening in the crater..."nt

[Ellipsis]

12. Hahahhhahahahahha! Here's another.

Bug: Place projectile weapon on the ground.
Edgar: You can have my gun, when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.
Bug: Your proposal is acceptable.

[Xithras]

8. Happens a few times a year

Luckily, nearly all of the Earths surface is thinly populated, uninhabited, or uninhabitable, so these impacts rarely get much interest beyond a few lines in the newspaper. Most are never noticed by anyone other than military radar and weather satellite operators.

One blew a small hole in Patagonia a couple of years ago, and another hit in the Egyptian desert last year. I've seen several mentions on science blogs where a few have been tracked to ocean strikes in that same time period.

It's normal. We live in a shooting gallery.

[WolverineDG]

9. I saw one once

it didn't make it to the ground, but exploded before impact. It lit up the night sky as if it were daylight for a few seconds & the explosion looked & sounded like very large fireworks. And I was about 20 miles from the area where the debris fell. :wow:

dg

[slackmaster]

11. ...Or was it actually a Russian satellite?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/mexican-meteorite-was-falling-russian-satellite/story-e6frf7jx-1225829767858