On February 6, a man was killed and three others were injured in a mysterious explosion in Vellore. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s response was that a meteorite crash had caused the mishap.
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NASA scientists in the US were quick to dispute Tamil Nadu CM’s claim saying that the pictures of the crater were more consistent with “a land-based explosion” than a meteorite.
“There has never been any scientifically confirmed death by a meteorite impact in recorded history,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defense officer.
But now, Tiruchirapalli-based National College has disputed NASA’s claim and categorically said on Monday that it was indeed a meteorite that killed a driver in an engineering college in Vellore, according to an IANS report.
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The National College released its report after studying the object recovered from the Bharathidasan Engineering College in Vellore district. According to the report, the object recovered contains carbonaceous chondrites, a type of meteorite.
“As per international norms for the nomenclature of meteorites, the present meteorite is named as ‘BEC 1’, which denotes the site of fall with a number,” the report added.
Let’s see what NASA has to say to this? Was Amma right?