Question

We are looking for information on a meteor that was supposed to have landed in the mid-western US on June 17th 1923.

A meteor that lands is called a "meteorite". If the fall was witnessed and the object subsequently located, it is called a "meteorite fall". Meteorites are named for the place where they were found, and most meteorite catalogs list meteorites according to their names rather than the date of the fall. If you know the place name, it is much easier to look up the details of the event. There are several catalogs of meteorites that might list it. However, I note that you say this object "was supposed to have landed" -- suggesting that the meteorite was not recovered. It would be very difficult to track down information in such circumstances. There are certainly hundreds, probably thousands, of cases each year where a bright meteor or fireball is witnessed, and to those watching it seems as if the object hit nearby, perhaps just over the next hill. In reality, the great majority of the meteors cease to be visible below an altitude of about 50 km, and there is no actual meteorite fall. Thus your strategy for finding information on a "supposed" fall will be much different than for a confirmed meteorite fall.

David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
January 23, 2004