Meteorite falls of 1803
3 meteorites in the catalogue are recorded as witnessed falls in 1803, in 2 countries. The largest recovered mass is L'Aigle, at 37 kg.
Why 1803 matters
On 26 April 1803 some 3,000 stones fell around L'Aigle in Normandy. The physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot visited the area, mapped where the stones lay and questioned witnesses, and his report persuaded the French Academy of Sciences that stones really do fall from the sky.
What fell in 1803
| Meteorite | Country | Class | Mass recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apt | France | L6 | 3.2 kg |
| L'Aigle Famous | France | L6 | 37 kg |
| Mässing | Germany | Howardite | 1.6 kg |
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.