A singular accomplishment
Today, we know that most meteorites originate in the asteroid belt; but in 1938, their origin was still a mystery. Wilson realized that the line he measured probably did not point exactly to the Benld meteorite's origin. As the space rock reached terminal velocity in Earth's atmosphere, its trajectory would have dropped more steeply. Also, since it had no apex, it might have tumbled as it fell, possibly following a disruption in the upper atmosphere. Wilson put out a call to other amateur organizations, seeking additional observations of the fall in hopes of discovering its origin, but without success.
Seventy-five years after the fall at Benld, the
Chelyabinsk meteor streaked through the sky over Russia, exploding in a fireball that was recorded by video cameras throughout the region. Astronomers used sophisticated computer calculations to trace the meteor’s origin to the Apollo group in the asteroid belt. The efforts of a pair of amateurs with string and a plumb bob may seem incredibly quaint by comparison, but given the tools of their time, Wilson and Preucil surely made a singular accomplishment.
The Benld meteorite, now displayed at the
Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, has been a favorite with visitors there for decades. It’s a tangible connection between the cosmos and human society, a reminder that we are part of a much larger universe, which, at any time, may tap us on the shoulder (or car) to remind us that it’s there.