Five stones fell in Song
One of the oldest dated records of a meteorite fall, from China's ancient chronicles.
Key facts
- People and tradition
- Ancient China
- Region
- Asia
- When
- 644 BC
The story
Chinese astronomers and court historians kept careful records of events in the sky for thousands of years, because they believed such signs reflected the fortunes of the ruler and the state. The Spring and Autumn Annals, a chronicle of the state of Lu, records that in the spring of 644 BC 'stones fell in Song, five of them'. A commentary explains that they were falling stars.
Later Chinese histories record hundreds of falls of stones and showers of shooting stars, often with careful notes of the date and place, and with comments on what they might mean for the realm.
What science says
Records like these are valuable to scientists today. Dated accounts of meteor showers help astronomers work out how the dust streams of comets have changed over thousands of years. The Chinese records include some of the earliest known sightings of showers such as the Lyrids, whose parent is Comet Thatcher.
Did you know?
Chinese, Korean and Japanese records together give one of the longest continuous records of events in the sky anywhere.
In 687 BC Chinese records describe stars falling like rain, thought to be an early Lyrid shower.