Meteorite falls of 1959
6 meteorites in the catalogue are recorded as witnessed falls in 1959, in 6 countries. The largest recovered mass is Yardymly, at 150.2 kg.
Why 1959 matters
On 7 April 1959 a fireball over Příbram in Czechoslovakia was photographed by two cameras. The pictures allowed the first calculation of a meteorite's orbit, which reached out into the asteroid belt.
What fell in 1959
| Meteorite | Country | Class | Mass recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akwanga | Nigeria | H | 3 kg |
| Hamlet | United States | LL4 | 3.71 kg |
| Kandahar (Afghanistan) | Afghanistan | L6 | 299 g |
| Pribram | Czechia | H5 | 5.56 kg |
| St.-Chinian | France | L6 | 134 g |
| Yardymly | Azerbaijan | Iron, IAB complex | 150.2 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.