NASA: Meteorites still throughout area following breakup of St. Patrick's Day meteor

It has been almost a week since a meteor made a fiery streak across the skies of northern Ohio before exploding approximately 30 miles above Valley City. In that time, individuals from near and far have taken to the streets and fields around Medina, southeast of Lorain County. Their mission: to find what may remain of the space rock that careened through the skies on St. Patrick's Day. People have taken to social media, posting photos and descriptions of rocky specimens they found — many of them questioning if it originated from beyond Earth. Over the weekend, officials with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provided assistance to those on the hunt for meteorites in Medina County. "NASA provides some resources for people who went to hunt for meteorites," said Marc Fries, a space scientist with NASA's Johnson Space Center. "We produce a webpage here called Meteorite Falls. We produce what's called a strewn field, which is a map of where all the meteorites lie on the ground." More information and data can be found at the website ares.jsc.nasa.gov/meteorite-falls. Fries said that the fragments of the meteor could have landed anywhere. "They can be anywhere," he said. "They could be alongside a road, they can be on top of a building, they can be in a field." But if an individual finds a rock they think may actually be a real meteorite, Fries said there are ways to tell. "When you find these things, you're looking for something glossy, shiny," Fries said. "If it's broken open, the inside of it is kind of a light grey color." In the hours after the explosion shook houses throughout northern Ohio, meteorologists and scientists speculated where the meteorites could be. "There were tons of small fragments," said Bill Cooke, lead for NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Doppler weather radar showed meteorites falling to the ground in Medina County. So there are space rocks lying on the ground in Medina County." But Cooke was quick to point out that finding them could be difficult. "These are usually tiny pieces, so if you land in wooded areas, forget it," Cooke said. "A lot of meteorite finds in this country in the east are found along roads. People will walk the roads in the area where it fell." Cooke continued, adding that other climates and areas, such as deserts, are more optimal in finding meteorites. "The best place, of course, is Antarctica," Cooke said. "Because if you see a rock on top of the ice, that ain't from Earth." NASA officials also recently released information that may shed light on the origins of the asteroid that entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded. "Based on a recent orbit and based on the meteorites people are beginning to find, it looks like that seven-ton rock came from the inner Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter," Cooke said in a video posted by NASA's Johnson Space Center. The belt is filled with 1.1 to 1.9 million asteroids of varying size, according to NASA. When an asteroid interacts with the gravitational pull of planets — most often Jupiter — they can be sent in any direction. The space rock that entered Earth's atmosphere last Tuesday was approximately six feet in diameter — relatively small in comparison to others that can be as large as 583 miles across, according to NASA. "This is very small. The atmosphere's going to break it up," Cooke said in an interview last week. "NASA is charged with picking up asteroids that can take out cities or even civilizations … Rocks like these pose a minimal risk to people on the ground." The meteor exploded due to a buildup of pressure the rock sustained after it entered the atmosphere at supersonic speed, according to Cooke. After the explosion, what remained continued falling toward Earth's surface. If any meteorites are found, Fries offered advice to better preserve them. "The meteorite won't hurt you, but, you know, the more you handle it, the more you're getting oils from your fingers and dirt on it," Fries said. "Take pictures of the place where it's found for record-keeping purposes or for your own memories." Fries's final piece of advice was for individuals who find the meteorites to enjoy them. Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.