The recovery of asteroid 2008 TC[subscript 3]

On October 7, 2008, asteroid 2008 TC{sub 3} impacted Earth and fragmented at 37 km altitude above the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan. The area surrounding the asteroid's approach path was searched, resulting in the first recovery of meteorites from an asteroid observed in space. This was also the first recovery of remains from a fragile 'cometary' PE = IIIa/b type fireball. In subsequent searches, over 600 mostly small 0.2-379 g meteorites (named 'Almahata Sitta') with a total mass 10.7 kg were recovered from a 30 x 7 km area. Meteorites fell along the track at 1.3 kg km{sup -1}, nearly independent of mass between 1 and 400 g, with a total fallen mass of 39 {+-} 6 kg. The strewn field was shifted nearly 1.8 km south from the calculated approach path. The influence of winds on the distribution of the meteorites, and on the motion of the dust train, is investigated. The majority of meteorites are ureilites with densities around 2.8 g cm{sup -3}, some of an anomalous (porous, high in carbon) polymict ureilite variety with densities as low as 1.5 g cm{sup -3}. In addition, an estimated 20-30% (in mass) of recovered meteorites were ordinary, enstatite, andmore » carbonaceous chondrites. Their fresh look and matching distribution of fragments in the strewn field imply that they were part of 2008 TC{sub 3}. For that reason, they are all referred to as 'Almahata Sitta.' No ureilite meteorites were found that still held foreign clasts, suggesting that the asteroid's clasts were only loosely bound.« less