Tirupathur: A mysterious object, which fell four days ago in Achamangalam village next to Jolarpet in Tamil Nadu's Tirupathur district and created a crater about five feet deep is a meteorite as confirmed by a local researcher. The falling object left the locals in panic due to the excessive heat released as a result of the powerful collision.
Local residents of the area were the first respondents to the unique celestial landing and accordingly informed Tirupattur District Collector Ananthakrishnan and Jolarpet police about the incident.
After receiving a distress call from the locals, the revenue department and the police rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry with the people of the area. Later, Tirupattur district collector Darpakharaj suggested the science center to find out what the mysterious substance is. The Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Center Executive Director in Chennai, Lenin Tamil Kovan, ordered the District Science Center in Vellore to carry out the study in this regard.
District Scientific Officer (in-charge) Ravikumar, who reached the spot, collected soil and ash samples from the 5 feet crater where the mysterious object fell. He also collected samples of sand near the crater.
Ravikumar said that samples of this soil and ash will be sent to a laboratory in Chennai for further study. "The mysterious object that fell in this area is a meteorite, and the soil has turned into ash at the speed of its fall," Scientific Research Center Officer Ravikumar said.
Ravikumar further said, "Asteroids orbiting between the planets Mars and Jupiter occasionally fall towards Earth, and larger ones cause more damage when they fall.”
