Meteorite falls of 1492
One meteorite in the catalogue is recorded as a witnessed fall in 1492: Ensisheim, in France.
Why 1492 matters
On 7 November 1492 a stone of about 127 kilograms crashed into a wheat field outside Ensisheim in Alsace. It is the oldest fall in Europe from which material survives, and printed broadsheets spread the news across the continent. The largest remaining piece is still kept in the town.
What fell in 1492
Ensisheim: the catalogue gives 1491, but the fall is dated to 7 November 1492.
A witnessed fall is a meteorite seen or heard coming down and then picked up, as opposed to a find, which is discovered later with no record of its arrival. The mass is the total recovered, often from many pieces.