A small meteorite may have fallen in Molise on the evening of March 15.
This is the conclusion reached by researchers at Rete Prisma, coordinated by the National Institute for Astrophysics, after a series of calculations conducted over the past three days following the appearance of a fireball in the skies of central and southern Italy. The fragment, according to estimates, is thought to have impacted near the town of Temennotte, in the municipality of Sant'Agapito, in the province of Isernia. Rete Prisma states that the data used for triangulation were obtained from the Prisma camera in Capua and two other cameras belonging to the IMTN network in Tortoreto and the Caserta branch of the Italian Air Force Association.
prism network communications
"From cross-referencing the data," according to the website of Rete Prisma, the First Network for the Systematic Surveillance of Meteors and the Atmosphere, "it appears that the small celestial body entered the atmosphere at an altitude of approximately 80 km and continued for a total distance of 61 km, covering it in 5.3 seconds at an inclination of 84°, a nearly vertical trajectory. The final altitude and velocity were 19,8 km and only 2,8 km/s, respectively, values that support the impact of a meteorite with an estimated mass of approximately 1 kg (a meteorite of approximately 8 cm if the density is 3.5 g/cm3)." Any smaller fragments, "which could have been between 2 and 4 cm in size, would have fallen a few kilometers further south in a rugged, wooded area, making them very difficult to recover."
SEND COMMUNICATIONS TO prisma_po@inaf.it.
The Prisma Network recommends that anyone who finds a suspicious stone in the indicated area, “covered with a dark patina and with rounded corners”, report it by sending a photo to prisma_po@inaf.it.
Furthermore, before collecting the fragment, it is recommended to photograph the meteorite and map the location; then, as the website states, "collect the meteorite using a sheet of paper, wrap it in a cotton cloth, place it in a clean glass jar, and place the jar inside another hermetically sealed jar with a moisture absorber." Researchers from the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and universities, amateur astronomer groups, and regional and local astronomical and meteorological observatories are participating in the Prisma project. Schools are involved with an educational program and astronomy workshops to engage students and individuals in the research activities.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR OF SANT'AGAPITO
"I immediately notified the residents," says Giuseppe Di Pilla, mayor of Sant'Agapito . About 250 people live in Temennotte. "They could encounter the fireball. I explained how it could be done and what to do if it were found. From the coordinates provided to me by the Prisma Network, the fall would have occurred near the river and the area of the Sant'Agapito turnoff on State Road 85. Next week, together with the Prisma scientists, the search will begin. The regional CAI (Italian Alpine Club) will participate. Perhaps we will involve other associations, but always with safety in mind; we must not forget the Covid containment measures . I will go too." "For our area," he concludes, "it would be a godsend, also in terms of tourism. The town is five kilometers from Isernia, where there is a splendid Paleolithic museum; it would be extraordinary to be able to exhibit it."
Gustavo Gentile
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