SAN LUIS VALLEY, Colo. -- A team of scientists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Thursday left on a research expedition to the San Luis Valley where they hope to find remnants from a one-ton meteorite that ripped through the Colorado sky Aug. 17.

The scientists -- led by DMNS geology curator Dr. Jack Murphy -- are searching the south end of the San Luis Valley to conduct interviews. While the meteorite could be seen all over the state, the research team has determined the most likely place fragments could have landed in the San Luis Valley over the Rio Grande National Forest.

The meteorite seen by many Coloradoans Aug. 17 was an extraordinarily bright fireball, 40 times brighter than a full moon, according to scientists. Meteorites that can be seen from the human eye only occur in Colorado about twice a year, scientists told 7News.

Sightings of this most recent meteorite caused a flood of phone calls to the 7News newsroom, as well as the Museum of Nature and Science.

"We got loads of calls and e-mails from as far away as New Mexico, Wyoming and Idaho, which helped us determine -- in record time -- the area where the fireball was last seen," Murphy said. "While we believe its final trajectory path ended right over the Rio Grande National Forest around Conjeos County, it's extremely important to go out in the field now and interview eyewitnesses to see if any portion of the meteorite may have impacted the surface."

Murphy also collaborated with Dr. Peter Brown from Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico, where a sophisticated acoustic network is used to pinpoint the atmospheric position of a fireball. Brown's data suggests that the meteorite could be seen at 10:44 p.m. MST and had an entry mass of one metric ton and a velocity of 11.25 miles per second.

After gathering more information the team will take a variety of compass bearings and altitude measurements in order to calculate the breakup point above the horizon. If the team is able to find remnants of the meteorite, it will be the first extraterrestrial specimen discovered by the museum scientists in this area of Colorado.

For more about the DMNS meteorite volunteer program, call 303-370-6489.

For more information about the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, log on to their web site.