Siberian Meteor Fragments Land At Field Museum

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Field Museum has hundreds of new meteorite fragments in its collection thanks to a retired lake forest health care executive who's second career seems to be chasing visitors from outer space, reports WBBM's John Cody.

Businessman and science philanthropist Terry Boudreaux enlisted the services of another meteorite tracker, Mike Farmer, to bring back pieces of that 11,000 ton meteorite that blew apart over Chelyabinsk Siberia, injuring over a thousand from glass shattered by the event.

Boudreaux says it's about two and a half pounds worth.

"It comprises about three or four hundred stones so they are small stones. These stones were collected at the beginning of the strewn field where the smaller pieces fall. The bigger pieces are some 60 km to 80 km away from where the small stones are found and this is such a giant event the big pieces are far, far down the path," said Boudreaux.

It is far away and hard to find says Boudreaux.

"The Ural Mountains are heavily wooded, swamps, lakes, no roads, so whether or not it will be found is up in the air but scientists looked at the explosion and in the sky and a small piece blew out of the front and NASA scientists estimated that small piece weighs ten tons," said Boudreaux.

Boudreaux says on scene scientists estimate the 11,000 ton Chelyabinsk meteorite was 55 feet in diameter before exploding into pieces over Chelyabinsk