* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Siena meteorite

Blobrana · L

It was the Siena meteorite shower of June 16, 1794 that provided conclusive proof to scholars in the Age of Enlightenment that rocks do indeed fall from the sky. Up to this point in time, such events were simply denied, explained away, or never fell into the embrace of science (see lot 1). Siena was the first meteorite event to occur near a highly populated European city, and as a result, the first to be extensively witnessed. Curiously, adding to the plausibility for the foregoing was that not all of the observers were Italian, and English visitors corroborated an account which told of a dark cloud from which sparks and bolts of red lightning emanated just prior to a deafening explosion and rocks raining from the heavens. Siena was the first meteorite fall to be thoroughly investigated by academics, and it rocked the claim that stones could not fall from the sky.
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Blobrana · L

The Siena (LL5 brecciated chondrite) meteorite fell in Tuscany, Italy, on the 16th June, 1794.
The meteor approached from the north, created a loud explosion and left a smoke trail.
This was one of the first confirmed meteorite falls in Italy.
Recovered weight: 3.7 kg

A strong case can be made, however, that the fall of stones at Siena at 7:00 p.m. on June 16, 1794, established the authenticity of meteorite falls and set in motion the re-examinations of entrenched beliefs that led to the founding of the new science. The Siena fall was heralded by the appearance of an extraordinarily high, dark cloud emitting smoke, sparks like rockets, and bolts of unusually slow-moving red lightning. With a tremendous explosion a shower of stones, ranging in weight from a few milligrams to 3 kg, fell southeast of Siena.
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