Today is the 220th anniversary of the Wold Newton Event.
Around 3 o’clock, on the 13th of December 1795, a meteorite fell near Wold Cottage, not far from the village of Wold Newton, Yorkshire.

Here
On this Spot, Dec 13th, 1795
fell from the Atmosphere
AN EXTRAORDINARY STONE
In Breadth 28 inches
In Length 30 inches
and
Whose Weight was 56 Pounds
THIS COLUMN
In Memory of it
was erected by
EDWARD TOPHAM
1799

The site of the impact was owned by Major Edward Topham, who had a monument erected to signal the spot, and organized exhibitions of the rock in London.

The Wold Newton meteorite (an L6 ordinary chondrite) is currently on display in the Natural History Museum.

But there’s a second part to the story, of course. Continue reading →