By Xinhua
Beijing : U.S. scientists said a meteor expected to strike the Earth likely disintegrated in the sky, media reported Friday.
Some witnesses account a meteor that streaked across the Pacific Northwest skies hit the ground southwest of Ritzville in central Washington, sending local officials on a fruitless hunt for the crater.
Using readings from instruments in the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, scientists said they believe the meteor disintegrated above the Blue Mountains, about 25 miles (40km) north of LaGrande, Ore., at an altitude of about 19 miles (30km).
Scientists triangulated the location of the disintegration by using readings from seismometers. Stephen Malone, professor emeritus of space sciences and former director of the seismic network at the University of Washington, noted that the readings might be a bit off because the seismometer closest to the disintegration point has been out of commission since January.
People in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia reported seeing a bright fireball streaking across the sky about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.