| Braunschweig | |
| Type: | Chondrite |
| Class: | Ordinary chondrite |
| Group: | L6 |
| Shock: | S4 |
| Weathering: | W0 (pristine) |
| Country: | Germany |
| Region: | Lower Saxony |
| Lat Long: | 52.2258°N 10.52°W |
| Observed Fall: | Yes |
| Fall Date: | 23 April 2013, 02:05 CET |
| Found Date: | 23 April 2013 |
The Braunschweig meteorite is a 1.3kg (02.9lb) meteorite that hit Melverode, a suburb in Braunschweig, Germany, at around 2:05 AM on 23 April 2013. It hit the concrete pavement in front of the home of Erhard Seemann, breaking into hundreds of fragments on impact, the largest of which is 214g. The meteorite created a small impact crater in the concrete, with a diameter of 7cm (03inches) and a depth of 3cm (01inches).[1]
The meteorite has been classified as an L6 ordinary chondrite.[1]
The meteorite fell at around 2:05 AM on 23 April 2013, with an estimated velocity of 250km/h. It hit concrete pavement 3m (10feet) from Erhard Seemann's front door, breaking into hundreds of fragments upon impact. The largest fragment, with a mass of 214 grams, stuck in the concrete, forming an impact crater with a diameter of 7cm (03inches) and a depth of 3cm (01inches). Fragments of concrete ejected from the impact were as wide as 5cm (02inches). Many other fragments of the meteorite were found within 18m (59feet) from the impact crater by several people.[2] [3] Traces of a secondary impact were found at a nearby brick wall in the form of indents 1cm (00inches) wide. A total of 1.3kg (02.9lb) of fragments were found.[2]
A neighbor reported hearing a strong hum and "whoosh" followed by a loud crash at around 2:10 AM, and then found four fragments of the meteorite on his driveway. In Ahlum, 8km (05miles) from the impact site, Julian Mascow reported a bright flare approaching from the southeast for 1–2 seconds, with a luminosity "like dawn," before ending in a "short tracer just over his head." He heard a loud explosion about 90 seconds later followed by a rumbling noise. Mark Vornhusen's web camera documented the fireball from Vechta, located about 160km (100miles) from Braunschweig.[2] [1] The light meter of a weather station in Brandenburg, approximately 240km (150miles) from Braunschweig, recorded 5 seconds of brightening. The Technical University of Braunschweig informed expert Rainer Bartoschewitz of the reports, who inspected the site on April 27 and confirmed the meteorite.[2]