A Gift from the Sky: Meteorite falls from space and lands in Muscogee Nation

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Media Contact: Christy Lang | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-9740 | [email protected]

A fireball crashed through Earth's mesosphere in the early hours of Jan. 20, 2023.

Pushed by immense pressure, the fireball's direction was arbitrarily set to North America, eventually landing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The mysterious phenomenon was soon discovered to be a rare meteorite falling from space.

During its descent to Earth's soil, the burning rock broke apart, leaving pieces sprinkled throughout. NASA tracked the meteorite's journey and determined it had landed in the Muscogee Nation.

Approximately 4 billion years in the making, the meteorite immediately raised local and national attention. Dr. Kat Gardner-Vandy, Oklahoma State University assistant professor of aviation and space and Choctaw citizen, was called in to evaluate the mysterious rock.

"I study rocks from space," Gardner-Vandy said. "And I love everything they tell us because these little gifts from the solar system have a huge story."

This specific meteorite had a story of its own. Gardner-Vandy soon discovered it was an asteroid and most likely originated at the beginning of the solar system.

Meteorites are rare, so the rock became front-page news. Surveillance cameras caught video of the meteorite in fireball form, and a few locals even witnessed the magnificent rock shooting through the sky. Due to the novelty of the meteorite, combined with the attraction from the public, the rock was quickly sold to dealers.

Gardner-Vandy said many meteorites end up in museums; however, she felt the rock should remain where it landed - Oklahoma.

"It's a bummer meteorites don't exist here in Oklahoma for us to either curate and enjoy or have students study," Gardner-Vandy said.

Determined to keep the unique rock in her home state, she reached out to colleagues and tracked it down at a meteorite auction. Once found, the next challenge was gathering funds to purchase the meteorite.

Gardner-Vandy immediately called Dr. Chad Depperschmidt, head of the School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation. Depperschmidt, along with other faculty and Dr. Jon Pedersen, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, assisted in gathering funds to purchase the meteorite.

"It was very important to keep the meteorite in Oklahoma in recognition of the Muscogee Nation and to make it available to view and study," Depperschmidt said. "As you can imagine, finding and securing meteorites is a complicated process."

Gardner-Vandy purchased the first piece for OSU as she said it offers a huge opportunity for students to expand their knowledge about space.

Gardner-Vandy wasn't finished in her quest. The purchased meteorite was in two pieces. She felt it was only fitting the Muscogee Nation keep a piece of the meteorite.

"This rock just serendipitously fell into their nation," Gardner-Vandy said. "They should have it or at least a piece of it."

Gardner-Vandy delivered the meteorite to the Muscogee Nation in March 2023. A year later, the Muscogee Nation and Meteoritical Society agreed to name the meteorite Mvskoke Merkv, meaning 'Muscogee Blessing' in the Creek language.

"It is my sincerest hope that this meteorite celebrates Muscogee Nation and its sovereignty over their land and reminds us of the blessings we receive from space," Gardner-Vandy said. "It also represents friendship and the beginning of a collaborative relationship with the Muscogee Nation."

For Gardner-Vandy, returning the meteorite to the Muscogee Nation was simply being a good steward of the land and respecting native sovereignty. Gardner-Vandy said it's a win for not only Oklahoma and the Muscogee Nation but also for OSU as a land-grant institution.

"We do a lot with space because we care about space," Gardner-Vandy said. "But it's also Oklahoma. It is our native culture. We are a land-grant institution, so we should really steward what's on our land. And meteorites are part of our land."

Photo By: Kelly Kerr

Story By: Sierra Walter | ASPIRE Magazine

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