The Viñales Meteorite
One afternoon in 2019, a fireball streaked over western Cuba and exploded with a bang that shook houses. Stones rained down around Viñales.
What was reported
Around 1:20 pm on 1 February 2019, people across western Cuba saw a brilliant fireball cross the sky, leaving a long smoke trail, followed by a loud explosion that rattled windows. It was also seen from Florida.
Soon after, residents around Viñales, a valley famous for its tobacco farms and limestone hills, found dark stones scattered in fields and streets, some of which had fallen through roofs. No one was hurt.
Explanations offered
Scientists confirmed that a small asteroid had broken up in the atmosphere, scattering fragments of an ordinary stony meteorite over the area. It was one of the best-recorded meteorite falls in the Caribbean.
- When
- 1 February 2019
- Where
- Viñales, Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Witnesses
- Thousands of people across western Cuba
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.