[MR] Wikipedia: The Ensisheim Meteorite

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this day in 1492, a meteorite struck in a wheat field just outside the
town of Ensisheim in Alsace, Germany (now Alsace, France, but that's a long
political story outside of our era).

The fireball was visible and the sound was heard for almost 100 miles from
the impact site. The stone gouged a hole in the field almost 3 feet deep.

The townspeople immediately began to dig out the meteorite and break it
apart for souvenirs. Fortunately, a local official ordered the stone
preserved for King Maximilian who was passing through the area to make war
on the French. The King ordered the stone to be kept intact in the local
church, which is why today it survives today at a local museum.

The meteorite had a major impact across Europe (Groan!). King Maximilian
declared it a good omen for his coming war (which was successful). Several
popular broadsides about the meteorite were written by the poet Sebastian
Brandt, examples of which are still extant.

The story is found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensisheim_meteorite .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆