Dingle Dell

Dingle Dell

Fall (L/LL 5, S2, W0) near Morawa, Mid West, Western Australia at 8.03.47.726 – 8.03.53.826 pm AWST (12.03.47.726 – 12.03.53.826 pm UTC) on October 31, 2016

'Morawa' (prov.) meteorite / Photo: AAP/Curtin University — DINGLE DELL (‘Morawa’) meteorite / Photo: AAP / Curtin University

On 31 October 2016 at 8.03.47.726 pm AWST (12.03.47.726 pm UTC) a bolide was seen above Western Australia, coming in from a north-northeastern direction. The 30cm meteoroid was recorded entering the atmosphere (angle: 51° from the horizon) at 80.596 km above the surface (116.41678 E, 28.77573 S) with a velocity of ~ 15.43 km per second and, having decelerated to ~ 3.243 km/s, ended its 6.1-second luminous trajectory at a height of 19.122 km (116.19564 E, 29.17045 S). The recorded luminous trail was 78 km long (48.89 km on ground). The team of the Desert Fireball Network was initially informed about the bolide by four ‘citizen scientists’ and eyewitnesses, including Carol Redford. Redford had seen the bolide’s luminous trail in a north-northeastern direction from an estimated distance of approximately 240-280 km from her house’s lounge room window in Gingin. She used the ‘Fireball in the Sky’ smartphone app* to send her report to the DFN. The subsequent precise trajectory calculations made by the DFN team were mainly based on visual recordings of three Desert Fireball Network cameras (Perenjori*, Northam and Badgingarra) which had captured the bolide. Prof. Dr Martin Tower, Trent Jansen-Sturgeon, Ben Hartig and Hadrien Devillepoix of Curtin University went to the calculated fall area on 6 November to search the projected fall area.

Screenshot of Carol Redford's 'Fireball in the Sky' report. Photo: Carol Redford — Screenshot of Carol Redford’s ‘Fireball in the Sky’ report. Photo: Carol Redford

On 2 November Prof. Phil Bland and Prof. Tower of Curtin’s Department of Applied Geology visited the fall area to ask for permission to search private farmland. On Monday, 7 November, at around noon the search team recovered a 1150.3-gram meteorite (~16 × 9 × 4 cm), an L/LL5 chondrite (S2, W0), at location 29°12’21.9″S 116°12’55.7″E on a paddock of the Dingle Dell farm, 19.98 km east of Morawa, Mid West, Western Australia. The meteorite is reported not to have left a visible impact pit on the ground. It was brought to Curtin University. The meteorite has been 3D CT-scanned at a location of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). First information about the find were published on 17 November 2016 by the Geraldton Guardian*. On 21 November a Curtin University press release was published and the meteorite was presented to the media. The meteorite will be curated at the

Dingle Dell’s matrix revealed after the classification slab has been cut off. Photo: G.K. Benedix et al, MetSoc 2017, abstract 6229

Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum. Because of the meteoroid’s fragmentation events and the presence of secondary fusion crust on the found specimen it is assumed that other meteorite masses might have fallen in the area. Another recovery expedition has apparently been planned for early 2017. The DFN team apparently intends to wait until the wheat farmers have cut down the crops on their fields before starting another expedition.

Dingle Dell fall location, about 20 km east of Morawa.

Dingle Dell fall location near the edge of a paddock of the Dingle Dell farm, only a few meters from the Koolanooka Hills bush land.

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Dingle Dell meteorite in situ. Photo: Devillepoix et al

Calculated strewn field line. Photo: Devillepoix et al

CSIRO CT scan

The bolide's luminous trail, including its end, captured by DFN's Perenjori camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University — The bolide’s 78 km long luminous trail captured by DFN’s Perenjori camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University

The bolide's luminous trail captured by DFN's Badgingarra camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University — The bolide’s luminous trail captured by DFN’s Badgingarra camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University

The bolide's luminous trail captured by DFN's Northam South camera camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University — The bolide’s luminous trail captured by DFN’s Northam South camera / Photo: Desert Fireball Network, Curtin University

Graphic representation of the calculated Morawa bolide trajectory. / Photo: Curtin University — Graphic representation of the calculated Dingle Dell bolide trajectory. / Photo: Curtin University

Morawa meteorite recovery team. / Photo: Curtin University — Dingle Dell meteorite recovery team consisting of Hadrien Devillepoix, Ben Hartig, Dr. Martin Towner, and Trent Jansen-Sturgeon (left to right) next to the paddock where the meteorite was found. In the background the Koolanooka Hills bush land can be seen. / Photo: Curtin University

MEDIA

Curtin University press release (21 November 2016)

Carol Redford’s Story (21 November 2016)

Ten Eyewitness News Perth (21 Nov 2016)

7 News (21 November 2016)

9 News Perth (21 November 2016)

Geraldton Guardian (17 November, 9 pm)

Scientific literature

The Dingle Dell meteorite: a Halloween treat from the Main Belt
Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix, Eleanor K. Sansom, Philip A. Bland, Martin C. Towner, Martin Cupák, Robert M. Howie, Trent Jansen-Sturgeon, Morgan A. Cox, Benjamin A. D. Hartig, Gretchen K. Benedix, Jonathan P. Paxman
submitted to MAPS (MAPS-2892)
PDF (OPEN ACCESS)

Mineralogy, Petrology and Chronology of the Dingle Dell Meteorite

Benedix G. K. * Forman L. V. Daly L. Godel B. Esteban L. Meier M. M. M. Maden C. Busemann H. Yin Q.-Z. Sanborn M. Ziegler K. Friedrich J. M. Strasser J. W. Welten K. C. Caffee M. W. Glavin D. P. Dworkin J. P. Bland P. A. Paxman J. P. Towner M. C. Cupak M. Sansom E. K. Howie R. M. Devillepoix H. A. R. Cox M. A. Jansen-Sturgeon T. Hartig B. A. D. Bevan A. W. R.
80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 [#6229]
abstract (PDF)

Fall and Recovery of the Dingle Dell Meteorite

Devillepoix H. A. R. Bland P. A. Towner M. C. Sansom E. K. Howie R. M. Cupak M. Benedix G. K. Jansen-Sturgeon T. Hartig B. A. D. Cox M. A. Paxman J. P.
80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 [#6211]
abstract (PDF)

Dingle Dell Density and Other Physical Properties

Macke R. J. Benedix G. K. Bland P. A. Desert Fireball Network Team
80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 [#6197]
abstract (PDF)