description Carancas Overview
Carancas is an H4-5 ordinary chondrite that struck near Lake Titicaca in Peru in 2007. The impact produced a crater roughly 13 meters across, an unusual documented result for a relatively small stony meteorite, and scattered fragments around the site. Residents subsequently reported illness, although such reports do not by themselves establish its cause; the event is studied as a witnessed atmospheric entry and crater-forming impact.
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How big was the crater created by the Carancas meteorite?
The Carancas meteorite impact created a crater approximately 13 meters (about 43 feet) across when it struck near Lake Titicaca in Peru in September 2007. This was unusual because stony meteorites of this size typically explode high in the atmosphere rather than surviving to form a ground crater.
Why did the Carancas meteorite make people sick?
After the 2007 impact near the village of Carancas, Peru, local residents reported symptoms including headaches, nausea, and skin irritation. These effects were attributed to inhalation of dust and gases released when the meteorite struck water-bearing ground, vaporizing material and producing fumes rather than to any unusual toxicity in the meteorite itself.
What type of meteorite is Carancas classified as?
The Carancas meteorite is classified as an H4-5 ordinary chondrite, a common type of stony meteorite. What made it remarkable is that ordinary chondrites of this size usually break apart in the atmosphere, but Carancas survived to impact the ground and create a crater.
When and where did the Carancas meteorite fall?
The Carancas meteorite fell on September 15, 2007, near the village of Carancas in the Puno region of southern Peru, close to Lake Titicaca and the Bolivian border. The event was witnessed by local residents who heard a loud explosion and saw the impact create a crater in a dry riverbed.
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