March 15, 2000

Ann Hutchison
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

Release: J00-17

Scientists to Discuss Yukon Meteorite Tomorrow

Planetary scientists from the U.S. and Canada will be available tomorrow to discuss the meteorite that fell to Earth over a remote area of the Yukon earlier this year.

Participating in the roundtable discussion will be Dr. Michael Zolensky of JSC; Dr. Richard Herd of the Geological Survey of Canada; and Dr. David Kendall of the Canadian Space Agency. The discussion will be held at 3 p.m. CST in room 108 of JSC’s Gilruth Center.

The meteor exploded in a fireball on January 18. Samples were collected by a local resident and kept frozen, giving scientists the opportunity to study meteorite fragments in a very pristine condition. Scientists believe these 4.5-billion-year-old fragments will provide new insights into the universe before the solar system was created.

NASA TV’s Video File at 11 a.m. tomorrow will include footage of the Yukon meteorite and of two similar meteorites that fell to Earth in 1969, as well as an interview with Zolensky. Replays will air at 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. CST.

Journalists who plan to attend the discussion should contact the JSC newsroom at 281-483-5111 as soon as possible unless they are already badged for the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference currently being held in the Gilruth Center. Plan to arrive early, as parking may be limited.

text-only version of this release