Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-ir) -- On Saturday September 15 a meteorite landed in Carancas, Peru, a small village located in the district of Desaguadero which is in the region of Puno. Villagers immediately reported feeling ill and suffering from nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Upon investigation, scientists in Peru determined that radiation was not present and that the meteorite was a chondrite.

Astrophysicist José Ishitsuka of Peru's Geophysics Institute, collected samples of the meteorite and confirmed that it contained a high degree of iron and magnetic properties, characteristics common in objects from outer space.

It was reported that the meteorite left a crater 13.5 meters (44 feet) in diameter and 5 meters (16 feet) deep.

Andina, Peru's official government news agency reported yesterday that Marco Limachi, a district authority in Puno, Peru stated that the large crater would be turned into a tourist attraction. Limachi told Peru's Andina News Agency that the region would take advantage of the attention the crater has attracted.

It was reported that despite the fact that the crater was currently fenced off with wires, within the next few days the Municipality of Desaguadero would roof the area and permit access to where the meteorite had landed.

Limchi stated, "Through different means of communication, we want to sell the crater's image as a tourist attraction so that the townspeople can benefit (from this event)."

In addition, Porfirio Aguilar, the director of tourism in Puno, Peru stated that he would get together with businessmen, Peru's authorities and Bolivia's authorities to promote tourism in the area.

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	Astrophysicist in Peru Identifies Properties in Meteorite (by LIP, Sept 21, 2007)
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