A 774-gram fragment of a meteorite that lit up the skies over Utah in August 2022 has been placed on display at the University of Utah (University of Utah). The space rock, which is the centerpiece of a new exhibit in the Sutton Building, represents only the second known “fall” meteorite in Utah history—meaning a meteorite whose plummet to Earth was directly witnessed by people (University of Utah).
Great Salt Lake Meteorite Finds New Home at University of Utah
The state’s first recorded fall meteorite occurred in 1950 near the town of Garland in Box Elder County (University of Utah). The recent addition to the university’s Department of Geology and Geophysics building stems from a cosmic event that thousands heard and saw when the rock detonated over Utah’s most populous region (University of Utah).
Journey From the Asteroid Belt to Earth
For approximately 4.5 billion years, dating back to the formation of the Solar System, the rock traveled beyond the orbit of Mars (University of Utah). On Aug. 13, 2022, it entered Earth’s gravitational field and traveled westward over the Wasatch Mountains and Salt Lake City at cosmic velocities of roughly 20 kilometers per second—equivalent to about 45,000 mph (University of Utah).
The intense friction generated by atmospheric contact caused the rock to glow incandescently, emitting gases and interacting with electrons before crashing into the playa along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake (University of Utah). The fiery trajectory and subsequent explosions were captured by Doppler radar, a modern technological tool that provided searchers with a map to locate its remaining pieces (University of Utah).
Recovery and Scientific Significance
Arizona-based meteorite hunter Robert Ward recovered the fist-sized object and donated the 774-gram specimen to the university (University of Utah). According to Jim Karner, the University of Utah’s resident meteorite expert and research professor (KSL, University of Utah), dozens of additional fragments totaling 3.2 kilograms have been recovered from the 2022 event, though further remnants likely remain in the lake playa and salt ponds near the west side of the lake.
Classified compositionally as an H5 chondrite—an ordinary chondrite rich in iron that comprises 15% to 19% of the meteorite by volume (University of Utah)—the specimen shares similarities with 80% to 85% of other meteorites. However, tracking the fireball allowed scientists to calculate its pre-impact orbit back to the asteroid belt, linking asteroid groups to specific meteorites.
Exhibit Details
The newly opened exhibit features video and interpretive materials that detail the fall (University of Utah). The displayed meteorite displays physical characteristics shaped by its atmospheric entry:
- A thin exterior glass layer known as a fusion crust, formed when atmospheric drag melted the outer surface (University of Utah).
- Thumbprint-like surface indentations called regmaglypts, caused by burning on select sides during descent (University of Utah).
- Exposed black and white grainy silicate material, or chondrules, visible where a chunk broke off upon impact (University of Utah).
