* Astronomy

Pioneer used meteorite as washstand

A recent article on the Plainview Meteorite has sparked local interest in space rocks and cast new light on a first-hand account of perhaps the earliest identified extraterrestrial stone found in Hale County.
That account, by R.A. McWhorter, is contained in "The History of Hale County, Texas," written by Mary Lee Cox and published in 1937. Additional information and an analysis of the stone is contained in a 1906 edition of the American Journal of Science.
McWhorter writes, "One night in the fall of 1882, the Quakers going home from church were startled to see a meteor shoot across the sky, lighting the entire country. From the intensity of its light, they concluded it had fallen to earth somewhere near Estacado, but they never found it."

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Latitude:   33°53'59.68"N, Longitude:    101°44'58.27"W