by Linda Butcher

Meteors are believed to originate in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are a solid piece of material that survives passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface. Once it strikes the earth it is called a meteorite. Meteorites occur in three types, stony, iron, and a combination of stone and iron. Some have been found with tiny fragments of gemstones in them. One example is peridot, the month of August birthstone.

On November 19, 2020 the Rio Grande Valley was fortunate to see a spectacular event. During the Leonid Meteor Shower, there was a fireball that streaked across our skies about 8:56 PM. A fireball is a large meteor that lights up the entire sky. It was seen from South Padre Island to Roma and probably beyond. The best time to view meteors is during a meteor shower. They occur several times a year.

The largest meteorite to hit the United States occurred approximately 50,000 years ago. The impact crater is located about 37 miles east Flagstaff, Arizona. It is about 3,900 feet across and 560 feet deep. The meteorite is believed to have been 160 feet across. 

Meteors frequently explode on impact blowing fragments of molten debris into the air. When this debris falls back to earth it’s collectively known as tektites. Tektite comes from the Greek word tektos, meaning molten. 

Tektites are assigned names based on their location. Moldavites, named after the Moldu river in the Czech Republic, are found in that country as well as Austria and Germany. Australites are from Australia, philippinites are found in the Philippines and malaysianites are found in Malaysia. The indochinites are found in Indochina and southeast Asia. 

Tektites have only been found in these few regions on earth called “tektite-strewn” fields. They are considered to be gemstones from space. Upon impact they form fragments of natural glass. Most are black, However moldavite is a dark bottle green. It is the only tektite used in jewelry because of its beautiful green color.