Go and Catch a Falling Star

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has undertaken a project to locate and recover fallen meteorites before they are contaminated by prolonged contact with the earth's surface. The project, under the direction of Richard McCrosky, will include a network of sixteen stations in seven midwestern states. Each station is equipped with four automatic cameras to scan the night sky for falling meteorites. Films from the stations will be collected periodically and examined for clues as to the location of possibly recoverable meteorites, and a search will be made if a fall is indicated.