Chelyabinsk Meteorite Specimen Debuts at AZ Challenger!

A glimpse of the new Chelyabinsk meteorite display.

In February of this year, an asteroid measuring 54 feet across, with a mass of about 10,000 tons, exploded in the sky over Russia.  The event, near the city of  Chelyabinsk, has been described as a “once-in-century” spectacle and made headlines across the globe.  Scientists announced this week that reverberations from the explosion completely circled Earth, not once, but twice!

The Chelyabinsk event created such a media frenzy that people the world over remain eager to see a piece of this history-making meteorite. 

Geoff Notkin, star of the Science channel television series Meteorite Men, just added an exceptionally nice specimen of the Chelyabinsk meteorite to his exhibit, “They Came From Outer Space,” at Challenger Space Center Arizona.

“This was the largest meteorite event on our planet in almost 70 years,” said Notkin on June 21, when the Chelyabinsk display debuted.  “This piece was picked up right after the fall by colleagues of mine who actually worked on the television show.  I brought it up here to Challenger and today is the big unveiling.  We’re very excited.”

The public is invited to see the Chelyabinsk meteorite daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. as part of “They Came From Outer Space,” which was curated by Notkin.  The exhibit is included with paid general admission to the Center and features over 100 spectacular meteorites, many found by Geoff and his co-host Steve Arnold during the filming of Meteorite Men.  It also includes costumes, props, equipment and other memorabilia from the television series and Geoff’s personal collection.

A centerpiece of the exhibit is a 230-pound pallasite meteorite, unearthed in Brenham, Kansas, during the filming of the pilot episode of Meteorite Men.  Valued at $100,000, it is one of the largest meteorites of its type ever found.

Now is your chance to see these rare meteorite specimens at Challenger Space Center Arizona!  Check out They Came From Outer Space for more details about the exhibit and Challenger Space Center Arizona for information about the Center.   

When you visit, don’t forget to purchase a meteorite in the Galaxy Gift Shop and start a  meteorite collection of your own!