Meteorite Discovery Confirmed in El Empalme, Ecuador
On the night of Wednesday, April 22, 2020 images and reports of people in Ecuador manipulating a rocky body with their hands went viral on social media networks. Residents of the Los Naranjos compound in El Empalme (Guayas) spoke of an object that fell from the sky. There was also several power outages in the area.
#Ecuador autoridades confirman la caída de un meteorito en El Empalme. pic.twitter.com/IOnvEvst9R
— ⒾⓃⒻⓄⓈⒾⓈⓂⓄⓁⓄⒼⒾⒸ CHILE (@EarthquakeChil1) April 23, 2020
The following morning, it was confirmed by the Government of Ecuador that it was a meteorite, according to El Comercio (Ecuador).
“The Police cordoned off the area and SCAN evidenced that the body is not radioactive, which reassures us, for the well-being of the residents,” said Rodrigo Salas , assistant secretary for Nuclear Control and Applications (SCAN) of the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources of Ecuador.
According to the specialists, the space rock measures 20 centimeters (cm) high by 17 wide and that it formed a hole of 60 cm. and 30 cm. deep.
Chemical engineer Hólger Naranjo, from the Undersecretary of Control and Nuclear Applications of the Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources, also collaborated in the inspection that was carried out around 14:30 on Thursday reported El Universo.
Radiation test were carried out, the result was a reading of 0.09 Sievert / hour range, which according to the expert did not represent any risk to life.
#Guayas #ElEmpalme
El Empalme, en la madrugada del 23 de abril, moradores del recinto Los Naranjos, manifestaron que habían escuchado un estruendo, por lo que al vizualizar se logró identificar fragmentos de rocas. pic.twitter.com/e7Q4eYDmPm— LANACIONTV (@lanacioncarchi) April 23, 2020
There have been 3 reported impact events so far this year… Nigeria, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, and Alwar, Rajasthan, India
It would seem we’re graduating from meteor fireballs merely blazing through our atmosphere, to now impacting, perhaps a sign of what’s to come or maybe just a freak set of coincidences… time will tell!
Headline image: TVR EC YouTube
