The Winchcombe Meteorite
A fireball over England was caught on doorbell cameras, and a family found the meteorite on their driveway the next morning.
What was reported
On the evening of 28 February 2021, a bright fireball crossed the sky over south-west England. It was filmed by specialist meteor cameras and by many doorbell and dashboard cameras, which let scientists work out where any pieces had fallen.
The next morning, the Wilcock family in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, found a pile of black, crumbly stones on their driveway. Volunteer searchers later found more, including a piece in a sheep field.
Explanations offered
It was a carbonaceous chondrite, a rare kind of meteorite rich in water and carbon compounds, and it was collected so quickly that it was barely affected by Earth's environment. It was the first meteorite recovered in the UK in about 30 years, and its water turned out to be similar to Earth's, supporting the idea that asteroids helped bring water to our planet.
- When
- 28 February 2021
- Where
- Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England
- Witnesses
- Doorbell cameras, dashcams, and a family who found it on their driveway
- Status
- Confirmed
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