(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A man in Streator says he has — under lock and key — a meteorite that fell from the sky 19 years ago and landed in his back yard.
It was last month when Doug Ramzey started taking a close look at the 2-pound rock found about 10 feet below ground in an old mine. It was at the bottom of a sinkhole in his back yard.
His conclusion: It’s a meteorite that fell March 26, 2003 during a meteorite shower in Park Forest. That incident is believed to be the most densely populated area to be showered with meteor debris in recent times.
“The wild thing about this is, this has got to be a stray piece from that meteorite — the same one — reaching 80 miles from here,” Ramzey said.
He has named his rock “Ace,” in honor of guitarist Ace Frehley from the rock band Kiss.
“If this thing could travel from Park Forest and make it to Streator and do a pinpoint landing next to a mine component, hey, I gotta give it a nice name.”
Ramzey has no official confirmation the rock is a meteorite, but he hopes to have scholars in Chicago take a look.
Related
