Summer science: The hunt for New Zealand's tenth meteorite

As part of our summer science series we bring you an episode of The Otago Chronicles podcast, hosted by Max Balloch. In this episode, Max talks to Associate Professor James Scott from the University of Otago Department of Geology about looking up at the night sky and the hunt for what would've been New Zealand's 10th meteorite.

Our summer science series continues this week with an episode of The Otago Chronicles podcast, hosted by Max Balloch. In this episode, Max talks to Associate Professor James Scott from the University of Otago Department of Geology about looking up at the night sky and the hunt for what would've been New Zealand's 10th meteorite.

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At a few dozen schools across New Zealand, special cameras are keeping watch for meteors streaking across the inky darkness. They're part of a network called Fireballs Aotearoa - detecting meteors and connecting schoolkids to the night sky - established in early 2022.

Most meteors - space rocks usually originating from the asteroid belt - burn up as they fly through the atmosphere, dying in a blaze of glory. A handful might make it to the Earth's surface intact.

On 28 August 2022, three of the cameras picked up a fireball - an especially bright meteor that "winks out" just above the ground. "We couldn't believe that it had landed right in the middle of our camera network, that we'd just deployed," says James.

The meteor's trajectory was calculated, narrowing its potential point of impact to a farm west of Outram in Otago. Once a meteor touches the Earth's surface, it's known as a meteorite.

A two-day meteorite hunt ensued - about 100 students, researchers, and volunteers scoured the countryside for what would be New Zealand's tenth meteorite.

Listen to the episode to hear what they did (or didn't find) and learn about the science of meteorites.

Thank you to Associate Professor James Scott. This episode was produced by Max Balloch. Music credits: LEMMiNO - Cipher CC BY-SA 4.0; LEMMiNO - Nocturnal CC BY-SA 4.0; LEMMiNO - Cosmic Solitude CC BY-SA 4.0.

To learn more:

Claire heads on another meteorite hunt on the West Coast in this episode of Our Changing World

James spoke to Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon about Fireballs Aotearoa in July 2022

RNZ covered the Otago meteorite hunt including the initial footage, the two-day hunt, and the aftermath

Another meteorite streaked across the sky above Northland in November 2022, sparking another hunt

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details