Struck By a Meteor!
History's Only Known Meteor Victim
Location: Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington DC
Equipment: Cell Phone Camera
On November 30, 1954, Ann Hodges was napping on her couch in her home in Sylacauga, Alabama when a softball sized meteor crashed through her roof, bounced off a radio, and struck her on her hip. She lived to tell the tale. After a legal dispute with her landlord regarding ownership, the meteorite was eventally donated to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, where it is on permanent display. A fragment of the meteor, which broke off in the atmosphere, was found the next day. It was donated to the Smithsonian.
In August 2016, I attended the Astronomical League convention in Washington DC. As part of the convention, I had the option of taking a "behind the scenes" tour of the Smithsonian's meteorite collection. Much to my surprise, I got to see and hold the Hodges meteorite fragment. I initially wanted to go to the Air and Space Museum to see the recently restored Enterprise NCC-1701, but quite frankly, this made my trip.
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