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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meteorite fall | 1/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorite_fall | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:53:37.329679+00:00 | kb-cron |
A meteorite fall, also called an observed fall, is a meteorite collected after its fall from outer space, that was observed by people or automated devices. Any other meteorite is called a "find". As of May 2026, the Meteoritical Bulletin Database listed 1,273 observed falls of approved meteorites, most of which have specimens in modern collections.
== Significance == Observed meteorite falls are of societal and scientific importance for several reasons:
In the most energetic of events, falls are observed by many human observers, and can co-occur with dramatic consequences as seen during the Chelyabinsk meteor event, in which 1,491 people were injured seriously enough to seek medical treatment (most injured from broken glass from the shockwave; no fatalities). Material from observed falls has not been subjected to terrestrial weathering, making the find an ideal candidate for scientific study into the dynamics of dust and small-body formation and understanding the history of solar system formation. Historically, observed falls were the most compelling evidence supporting the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites. A robust subculture of meteorite hunters has developed along with an associated market for meteorite minerals. Observed fall discoveries are currently the best data source to understand the types of meteorites which fall to Earth. For example, iron meteorites take much longer to weather and are easier to identify as unusual objects, as compared to other types. This may explain the increased proportion of iron meteorites among finds (6.7%), over that among observed falls (4.4%). There is also detailed statistics on falls such as based on meteorite classification.
== Largest falls ==
Half of all confirmed falls are listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database with masses between 0.1 g to 2.5 kg. However there are more than 60 meteorites with 100 kg or more. Six of them total more than one metric ton. The six largest falls are listed below and five (except the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite) occurred during the 20th century. Presumably, events of such magnitude may happen a few times per century (often in remote areas) and have typically gone unreported. For comparison, the largest finds (not corresponding to an observed fall) are the 60-ton Hoba meteorite, a 30.8-ton fragment (Gancedo) and a 28.8-ton fragment (El Chaco) of the Campo del Cielo, and a 30.9-ton fragment (Ahnighito) of the Cape York meteorite.
== Observation methods ==
=== Statistics === While the stream of meteorites reaching Earth remains pretty much constant over time, statistics of meteorite falls show a more or less continuous increase in the number of observed meteorite falls from the end of the 18th century until a significant peak in the 1930s. This steady increase has been described as early as 1963 and has been explained with changing social, scientific and technical circumstances: population growth and higher population density, improving communication, the expansion of scientific institutions, and the increasing organization of meteoritics and greater interest from the general public all raised the likelihood that fireballs would be reported and that fresh meteorites would be deliberately searched for and recovered. The peak during the 1930ies also coincides with increased activity by private collectors, especially Harvey H. Nininger and Oscar Monnig who set significant accents in meteorite hunt and research and the foundation of the Society for Research on Meteorites (now known as the Meteoritical Society) in August 1933, with Frederick C. Leonard as the first president and Nininger as secretary. The decline in the 1940s is explained by the disruptions caused by World War II, which significantly impaired fieldwork, international cooperation, publication activity and the acquisition of collections. The increase in observed falls since the beginning of the 21st century can be attributed to improved technical and organizational capabilities for detection and recovery, particularly through global and regional fireball networks, satellite detections, meteor reporting websites, weather radar observations, the spread of digital cameras and social media as well as the use of metal detectors, drones and coordinated search teams.
=== Automated fireball detection devices ===