30th June: Meteorite Day

On this date in 1908 a large meteorite crashed in central Siberia, causing the most powerful explosion in human history. So today is meteroite day, and also Sky Day. So here are 10 things you may not know about meteorites:

1. Meteorites are only the objects that impact the Earth. If it stays out in space, it's a meteoroid; if it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, it's a meteor.
2. While meteorites are falling to Earth all the time, most of them fall into the sea or in uninhabited areas. Only between five and ten a year find their way into the possession of scientists for study.
3. Most meteorites come from Asteroids, presumably debris from collisions, but some are believed to come from the Moon and even Mars.
4. Meteorites are always named for the places they were found, usually a nearby town or geographic feature.
5. It is illegal to buy or sell meteorites in South Africa.
6. 94% of meteorites are made of space rock, while about 6% are made of metal, usually Iron. Some of the rocky ones contain traces of organic matter such as amino acids.
7. The oldest meteorite whose fall can be dated precisely (to 19 May 861), was called Nōgata. It landed in Japan.
8. The largest Meteorite ever found on Earth was Hoba, discovered in Namibia, Africa in 1920. It measures 2.7m wide, 2.7m deep, 0.9m high and weighs 60 tonnes.
9. There are no proven historical cases of people being killed by meteorites. The first modern case of a human hit by one occurred on 30 November 1954 in Sylacauga, Alabama. A 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) stone meterorite crashed through Ann Hodges' roof while she was sitting in her living room. It bounced off her radio and hit her. She was badly bruised.
10. Fragments of asteroids (presumably we can't call them meteorites under the definition above) have been found on the Moon.