What’s the link between a horse riding and a meteorite? Probably none for 99.9% of all cases. But not for Frank Hommel, in Texas! Because it’s while he was organizing such a horseback ride, that his horse stopped in front of the second largest chondrite meteorite (weighting 345 kg) ever discovered in the United States!
The meteorite, called Clarendon (c) meteorite, has then proven being a chondrite L4 meteorite. “Chondrite” refers to the rocky body contains chondrules (tiny crystallized spheres that contains the elements that primary composed our Solar system). It thus originated from the crust of an asteroid which was ejected millions or billions of years ago during a collision. The size and weight of the space rock ranks it as the second biggest meteorites ever discovered in the United States, after the Paragould meteorite, which landed in Arkansas in 1930.
From the external state of the rocky body, it must have stood there for dozens of years and it must have been exposed to the air thanks to deflation of the floor. But if such a meteoroid entered the atmosphere right now, it would probably induce a fireball at least as bright as the Full Moon! A meteor that people are encouraged to report it, for scientists to be able to look for another big meteorite fall (it happenend a few months ago with Osceola meteorite in Florida), and for the sake of science!
You saw something bright and fast? Like a huge shooting star? Report it: it may be a fireball. 
You counted meteors last night? Share your results with us! 
You took a photo of a meteor or fireball? You have a screenshot of your cam? Share it with us! 
You caught a meteor or fireball on video? Share your video with us!
2 comments
Sky & Telescope just published a new article on the (c) Clarendon topic: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/clarendon-meteorite-find-of-a-lifetime/
Have a nice reading!
Karl
: Frank and DeeDee Hommel of the Bar H Working Dude Ranch located northwest of Clarendon, Texas, were out riding on their property on April 6, 2015, and report that their horses went crazy when they approached a large unusual rock (later determined to weigh 345 kg). They dug up additional fragments weighing about 32 kg near the large mass located at 34.983°N, 100.933°E. They contacted Eric Twelker, who arranged for testing of a specimen.