The Tagish Lake Meteorite
A fireball exploded over northern Canada in winter, and a local man gathered its fragments from the frozen lake without touching them by hand.
What was reported
On the morning of 18 January 2000, a huge fireball lit up the sky over the Yukon and northern British Columbia, followed by sonic booms. A week later, Jim Brook, a local resident, found dark fragments lying on the ice of Tagish Lake.
Knowing they might be valuable to science, he collected them in clean plastic bags without touching them, and kept them frozen, so they were never warmed or contaminated.
Explanations offered
The Tagish Lake meteorite turned out to be a very rare, fragile type rich in carbon and organic compounds, possibly from the outer asteroid belt. Because it was kept frozen and clean, it is one of the most pristine meteorites ever studied, and has taught scientists about the early solar system.
- When
- 18 January 2000
- Where
- Tagish Lake, British Columbia, Canada
- Witnesses
- Residents of the Yukon and British Columbia
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.