What was the Pultusk meteorite shower?
On 30 January 1868, a meteoroid exploded over Pułtusk in Poland, scattering an estimated tens of thousands of stones, one of the largest showers of meteorites known.
On the evening of 30 January 1868, a brilliant fireball crossed the sky over central Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. Witnesses reported a loud explosion, followed by rumbling and the sound of falling stones. The meteoroid had broken apart over the region near the town of Pułtusk, north of Warsaw.
A shower of stones. Stones fell over a wide area, many of them small, some weighing just a few grams. Local people collected large numbers, and estimates of the total number of stones range from tens of thousands upwards, with some estimates as high as 70,000 or more, although these are uncertain. Many of the small, rounded stones are known as Pultusk peas. The largest pieces weighed several kilograms. The total recovered mass is estimated at around 2 tonnes or more, though some sources give different figures.
Classification. Pultusk is an H5 ordinary chondrite. Many stones are covered in fresh fusion crust, and broken ones show grey interiors with metal grains.
Scientific importance. The fall occurred during a period when scientists were actively collecting and studying meteorites. Specimens were distributed widely to museums and collections around the world, and Pultusk became one of the most widely held meteorites.
Today. Pultusk specimens are still found occasionally in the fall area, and pieces are popular with collectors because of their historic fall and well-preserved crust.
The Pultusk fall illustrates how a single meteoroid can fragment into a huge number of stones, providing a rich record of a single event.