"Meteorite" Crashes In Latvia

RIGA, Latvia — Scientists investigating a large crater initially believed to have been caused by a meteorite said a closer analysis Monday revealed it was a hoax.

Experts in the Baltic country rushed to the site after reports that a metorite-like object had crashed late Sunday in the Mazsalaca region near the Estonian border.

"This is not a real crater. It is artificial," Uldis Nulle, a scientist at the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, said after inspecting the site on Monday.

Earlier Uldis had said his first impression late Sunday was that the 27-foot (nine-meter) wide and nine foot (three-meter) deep crater had been caused by a meteorite. He said there was smoke coming out of the hole when he arrived.

Uldis and other experts who examined the hole in daylight on Monday said it was too tidy to have been caused by a meteorite.

"It's artificial, dug by shovel," said Girts Stinkulis, a geologist at the University of Latvia.

Dainis Ozols, a nature conservationist, said he believes someone dug the hole and tried to make it look like a meteorite crater by burning some pyrotechnic compound at the bottom. He added he would analyze some samples taken from the site.

Sigita Pildava, a spokeswoman for the State Police, said it wasn't immediately clear whether police would open an investigation into the hoax.

Inga Vetere of the Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call about the alleged meteorite on Sunday evening from an eyewitness. She said a military unit was dispatched to the site and found that radiation levels were normal.

Experts outside Latvia said it would be unusual for such a large meteorite to hit the Earth. The planet is constantly bombarded with objects from outer space, but most burn up in the atmosphere and never reach the surface.

In 2007, a meteorite crashed near Lake Titicaca in Peru, causing a crater about 40 feet (12 meters) wide and 15 feet (five meters) deep.

Asta Pellinen-Wannberg, a meteorite expert at the Swedish Institute of Space Research, said she didn't know the details of the Latvian incident, but that a rock would have to be at least three feet (one meter) in diameter to create a hole that size.

Henning Haack, a lecturer at Copenhagen University's Geological Museum, said when it comes to alleged meteorite crashes, "there always is a pretty large margin of error."

Comments

[loki]

you sure its not a pot hole on the Jersey turnpike?

Actually , its god spitting on us for screwing things up so much and turning into a super greedy selfish race.

[LMPE]

Well, at least this was a scientific hoax. More justifiable than balloon boy.

I spent a few days in Latvia in fall 2005 and swam in the Aqua Park near Riga. Nice place the country is.

[Tuckerndfw]

I was in Europe when I was in the military but the Iron Curtain was alive and well so I did not get to go to eastern Europe.

Western Europe was a really nice place to be in the early 1970's. I really enjoyed my time there. Unfortunately, I haven't been back other than passing through airports on my way elsewhere.

Bavaria is really nice.

Balloon boy was a bunch of nonsense. The parents should be sent to Afghanistan to take part in the reality show called searching for OBL.

[KIVPossum]

Riga's nice. Vilinus, Lithuania is better. The Baltic states are interesting but I prefer southern Eastern Europe.

[DC]

Oh man another false Huffpost headline

[Tuckerndfw]

Why is this a news story?

[shthar]

FORE!

[CoronaDischarge]

Maybe someone in Latvia is looking to start their own reality TV show?

[erasmus888]

Yeah, another dimwit. Maybe all the dimwits should get together and have a reality show for dimwits. But then I guess there are already some shows out there that cater to dimwits, huh?

[Tuckerndfw]

What reality show doesn't cater to dimwits?

I watched Survivor a couple of times when it first came on and thought it was one of the dumbest shows I've ever seen.

Haven't watched a reality show since.

Oh, hi, Eraser.

:-))

[Tuckerndfw]

HP is so weird.

I can read the two previous comments you posted to me by using the "commented to" box but they aren't posted on the board.

I don't have a tv, so I can't watch Survivor or any tv show unless I go to the store & watch the display models or go to someone's house.

My satellite service limits usage so I can't download tv programs. Too much data and it eats up my bandwidth.

I don't know why HP isn't posting your comments. They're so weird.

[Tuckerndfw]

Eraser, I've tried to fan you about five times.

There's something wrong with their fan thingy. Just another one of their quirks.

Words liked id iot are usually not allowed. Or similar words.

You have to be creative when you insult people.

I can't tell you what words are prohibited because they don't tell anyone, that I know of.

And, there appears to be lots of them.

In that regard, they are much, much worse than any site I've ever seen. Don't know who came up with that list, but they must have a very hard time talking to people if they never use those words.