US Thule Air Base Wasn't Hit By A Meteor, But It Was Close

Exaggerated reports appeared earlier this week claiming a US Air Base in Greenland had been struck by a meteor. That's not true, the Air Force has said, but it did confirm that a meteor hit miles away with considerable force. The event happened in late July, but went mostly unnoticed until Australian media picked up the story.

Thule Air Base is the US's northernmost military outpost, residing only about 940 miles from the North Pole. The base is intended, among other things, to detect any incoming missiles and to monitor space. On July 25, a meteor made a surprise appearance near the base, striking miles away with 2.1 kilotons of force.

Unlike some reports earlier this week, it didn't hit Thule and the Air Force base was not damaged. NASA and USAF officials both confirmed the details to Military Times, apparently expressing frustration at the misinformation while wondering why media questions were arriving a week after the strike.

The publication claims based on a statement from an unnamed source that the USAF contacted its space command over the event.

It's not uncommon for meteors to enter the Earth's atmosphere, most of them appearing as brief streaks of bright light in the sky as the space matter burns up. Occasionally one of these space objects will strike land, though it's rare for damage or injuries to result.

Perhaps the most notable instance of a recent, damaging meteor strike happened in Russia back in 2013. The Chelyabinsk meteor caused glass and walls to break in more than 4,000 buildings, resulting in more than 1,000 people injured primarily by broken glass, according to CNN.

SOURCE: Military Times