Park Forest - L5 Ordinary Chondrite

Park Forest is a witnessed L5 Ordinary Chondrite fall from Illinois, USA, which occurred late on 26 March 2003. A bright fireball was seen across several Midwestern states before the meteorite broke apart over the southern suburbs of Chicago. Numerous stones fell around Park Forest, with several striking buildings, including homes and the local fire station. The Meteoritical Bulletin records Park Forest as an approved L5 Ordinary Chondrite fall from Cook County, Illinois.

Park Forest specimens typically show the compact texture of an L5 Ordinary Chondrite, with subdued chondrules, scattered metal grains, and a grey to brown stony matrix. As an L Chondrite, it has lower metallic iron than H Chondrites, while the type 5 classification indicates significant thermal metamorphism on its parent asteroid. Fresh pieces may retain dark fusion crust, and some fragments carry extra interest because of their documented building-strike provenance.

Studying Park Forest provides valuable insight into Ordinary Chondrite parent bodies, atmospheric fragmentation, and the recovery of meteorites from a densely populated modern fall. Its video-recorded fireball, American provenance, L5 classification, and hammer-stone history make it especially desirable for collectors of witnessed falls and USA meteorites. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material connected to one of the most memorable urban meteorite falls of the 21st century.