- Diario 'Los Andes' - Mendoza Province, Argentina
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- Despite the fact that an extensive region from San Rafael
to Malargue was combed by air -- reaching the border with Neuqun province--no
traces were found of the meteorite which plunged to Earth in the early
hours of Friday morning in southern Mendoza.
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- The failed mission nonwithstanding, the head of the Instituto
Coprnico, Jaime Garc,a--a renown scientist and astronomre--claims having
no doubt that something fell from space: "If we didn't find it today,
will continue looking in other areas we didn't survey," he said.
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- Aboard the aircraft and with maps in hand, Garcia and
Hector Correa, the local Civil Defense coordinator, instructed pilot Juan
Pablo Mortarotti as to the possible trajectory of the meteorite. They went
by the eyewitness accounts of those who saw the object. Since most claimed
the fall occurred in the vicinity of Agua Escondida (Malargue), they flew
to that region. "We covered a broad swath of 20 km plus some 200 km
in a straight line east of Route 180. We reached Pata Mora (border with
Neuqun province). Upon returning, we did so along the eastern slopes of
the El Nevado mountain, even seeing the Agua del Toro reservoir, but could
see nothing."
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- However, one thing is clear: if the object fell to earth,
it did so in Mendozan territory. Residents of Rincon de los Sauces (Neuquen)
neither heard nor saw anything.
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- They plan to fly again on Monday, employing an Air Force
helicopter this time, to have greater maneuverability. They will try to
reach two regions where accounts suggest the object may have crashed: between
Sierra Pintada and the Reyunos Reservoir, or to the west of the El Nevado
mountain.
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- Translation (C) 2003 Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks
to Gloria Coluchi.
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