Meteorite suspected of hitting river in northern Finland
30.12.2005 at 16:10
A large explosion crater found in the Mantokoski river in Utsjoki, northern Finland, may be caused by a meteorite, said Juhani Harjunharja, chair of the Ursa astronomical association, in a statement Friday.
The crater has an estimated diameter of as much as 300 meters. Samples are being sent to the University of Oulu for examination. The possibility of the crater being caused by the remnant of a satellite has not been ruled out.
"For my part I am strongly leaning towards the opinion that it is a meteorite", Mr Harjunharja said.
The impact zone is approximately one kilometre from the closest settled area. It is estimated that the impact occurred before Christmas.
/STT/
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Theory of large meteorite impact in Finnish Lapland is false -Ursa
2.1.2006 at 11:03
The suspected meteorite crater in the Mantokoski river in Utsjoki in Finnish Lapland could not have been caused by a meteorite, said Jarmo Moilanen, a representative of the Finnish astronomical association (Ursa) in a statement Saturday.
The impact of a meteorite leaving such a large crater would have been detected, Mr Moilanen argued.
The chair of Ursa´s Utsjoki branch had suspected Friday that a meteorite had caused the crater, estimated to have a diameter of as much as 300 metres.
/STT/
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