Meteorite falls of 1864
3 meteorites in the catalogue are recorded as witnessed falls in 1864, in 3 countries. The largest recovered mass is Orgueil, at 14 kg.
Why 1864 matters
On 14 May 1864 about 20 stones fell near Orgueil in southern France. Orgueil is a CI chondrite, one of the rarest and most chemically primitive kinds of meteorite. A century later scientists found seeds glued into one sample: a hoax made soon after the fall to suggest life from space.
What fell in 1864
| Meteorite | Country | Class | Mass recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolgovoli | Ukraine | L6 | 1.6 kg |
| Nerft | Latvia | L6 | 10.25 kg |
| Orgueil Famous | France | CI1 | 14 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.