meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Overheard at National Geographic

The Aquarius Project

Overheard at National Geographic

National Geographic

Science, Society & Culture

4.510.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 November 2019

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A fireball from outer space crashed into one of Earth's biggest lakes. Scientists didn't know how to find it. So, they called in just the right people for the job -- an actor and a bunch of teenagers. For more information on this episode, visit nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/overheard. Want more? See eyewitness reports and videos from the February 2017 fireball that sparked the Aquarius Project. The Aquarius Project is no longer the only group to look for a meteorite in a massive body of water. Using a similar method, a NASA scientist recovered meteorite fragments from the ocean floor off the Washington coast. Read about other extraordinary lengths people take to find meteorites -- like the explorer, fueled by reindeer milk, who trudged deep into Siberia to find the site of a monstrous meteor impact. Meet the only person in recorded human history to be struck by a meteorite. Also explore: Almost all meteorites originate from our solar system. But scientists discovered one interstellar interloper that may have slammed into earth. Nearly 50 tons of space debris hit Earth every day. Watch Meteor Showers 101. Listen to the Adler Planetarium's podcast series chronicling the Aquarius Project. If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, it's Grace Beverly here. I don't know about you, but this summer I want to look

0:03.9

and feel incredible without living in the gym or missing out on fun social stuff. Look,

0:07.8

I'd rather be at the pub with an apparel. 98% of users credit Shreddy for making them

0:11.8

feel more confident, so join me for our short, sweet, but very effective workouts in Shreddy's

0:16.6

six-week challenge. We plan your workouts and meals for less than £4 per month. That's

0:21.6

less than a bougie coffee. All you have to do is show up. Head to the app store and

0:25.5

down-no-treddy for 45% off now.

0:30.0

It all started with a question. What if last summer Jack Morgan got on a boat and set

0:36.9

sail out on Delake Michigan. He was looking for something at the very bottle.

0:42.3

It's about 12 miles offshore from Wisconsin and it's roughly the distance between the cities

0:49.0

of Shaboygan and Manitawok. So if you know the area, you'll know that's quite a distance.

0:54.1

It's like an hour's drive on the highway. That's how far the distance is that you're

0:57.9

searching. Yeah, from the north end to the south end and several miles across. Wow.

1:02.4

Okay, so big area. Yeah, it's a massive area.

1:06.8

Jack was part of a team hunting for a meteorite. They knew it had landed in the lake, but

1:12.8

where exactly? And what if they found it? Because if they did find it, how are they going

1:18.6

to bring it up? It is quite far down. It's about 200 to 300 feet underwater, so divers

1:27.8

are out of the question there. And it also broke up into some very small pieces when it hit

1:34.8

the atmosphere. So we're really looking for like tiny pebble-sized chunks of meteorite.

1:41.0

In these tiny pebble-sized chunks, they're magnetic. So Jack and the rest of the team wondered,

1:47.4

what if what if they built a sled covered in magnets, outfitted with all kinds of cameras

1:54.0

and sensors? So they did. We take our sled, we send it down to the bottom of the lake,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from National Geographic, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of National Geographic and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.