Background

Meteorite shower, known as a "shower of stones" in ancient times, is a phenomenon that occurs when a meteoroid passes through the earth's atmosphere at high speed, producing extreme heat due to friction, and falling in fragments towards the earth. China has the earliest records and research on meteorite showers. The meteorite shower that took place at 15:00 on 8 March 1976 over the northern suburbs of Jilin City, Yongji County, and the outskirts of Jiaohe City, Jilin Province, was recognized as the largest in recorded history, covering as approximately 500-square-kilometer area. Altogether 138 meteorites were collected, weighing 2,700 kilograms in total. Meteorite No.1, weighting 1,770 kg, was the largest meteorite from this shower, and the largest ever found in the world.

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