[meteorite-list] Chinese Witnessed Meteorite Fall and Recovery 1064AD....Meteorites Hot or Cold?

From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Sep 12 16:36:30 2005
Message-ID: <20050912203616.34280.qmail_at_web53211.mail.yahoo.com>

Dear List:
  I am reviewing some notes that I have made from
Chinese ancient literature. This is the best
documented fall in ancient times in China: " In the
1st year of the Chih-Phing reign period (1064 AD),
there was a tremendous noise like thunder at
Chhang-Chou about noon. A fiery star as big as the
moon appeared in the south-east. In a moment there
was a further thunderclap while the star moved to the
south-west, and then with more thunder it fell in the
garden of the Hsu family in the I-hsing district.
Fire was seen reflected in the sky far and near, and
fences in the garden round were all burnt. When they
had extinguished, a bowl-shaped hole was seen in the
ground, with the meteorite glowing from within it for
a long time. Even when the glow ceased it was too hot
to be approached. Finally the earth was dug up, and a
round stone as big as a fist, still hot, was found,
with one side elongated (i.e. pear shaped). Its
colour and weight were like iron. The governor, Cheng
Shen, sent it to the Chin Shan temple at Jun-Chou,
where it it is still kept in a box and shown to
visitors". (There is no evidence that this meteorite
exists yet today.)
Reference: "Meng Chhi Pi Than" written by Shen Kua

  There is also written evidence that the oldest
Chinese witnessed fall was in 662BC in China.

Best, Dirk Ross...Tokyo




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Received on Mon 12 Sep 2005 04:36:16 PM PDT