Dundee is the new home for a four-billion-year-old visitor from outer space.
Leisure and Culture Dundee has been revealed as the successful bidder for a piece of the Strathmore Meteorite, which recently came up for auction in Edinburgh (link).
The National Fund for Acquisitions covered half the £3,200 auction price and Dundee museums staff are now preparing a suitable display to show off their latest treasure to the public next year.
The meteorite’s original arrival in Tayside on December 3 1917 was greeted with more alarm than excitement.
With the First World War raging, the sight of a fireball in the sky raised fears in some quarters that the area was under bombardment, though Dundonians were rather more sanguine about the projectile streaking over their heads.
”The story is in The Courier of the time surrounded by items of news about what’s happening at the front and missing soldiers,” said David Lampard, Dundee’s curator of geology and zoology.
”And, of course, anything that comes flying in as a fireball is going to be investigated and there are police reports from the time.”
He added: ”Apparently there was so much war work going on in Dundee at the time, though, that they didn’t notice the explosions because they were so used to loud noises.”
Mr Lampard said the new acquisition is important because it is part of one of only three observed meteorite falls in Scotland.
He said: ”As far as I am aware four have been found but only three were actually seen coming down, so that makes it quite rare.
”In fact the track of the meteorite was spotted all the way from Berwick-on-Tweed until it landed north of the Sidlaws. It actually exploded just north of Dundee and the pieces fell in the Strathmore Valley.”
Following the sound of thunder-like detonations, four stones fell at Easter Essendy, Carsie, Keithick and South Corston.
Mr Lampard said: ”This piece is from the Essendy meteorite, most of which is in the National Museum of Scotland. This is a piece that was cut off that.
”To work out exactly what the mineral content was, a section was taken and sent off to experts at the Natural History Museum for analysis.”
The meteorite that hurtled from the sky at Essendy startled a flock of sheep in a field near Blairgowrie and was found later by their shepherd.
A family at Keithick Lodge had a more startling experience, however, when another piece of the meteorite, travelling at 150mph, came through their roof.
Three miles away at Carsie Farm, a farmer’s wife had a lucky escape when a chunk of the meteorite landed 20 yards from where she was standing.
The stony meteorite, known as a chondrite, was created during the formation of the solar system and will now form part of Dundee’s mineral collection.
The piece belonged to retired meteorite dealer Rob Elliott of Milton of Balgonie, Fife, who sold his extensive collection earlier this year.
Leisure and Culture Dundee chairman Bob Duncan said: ”This will be a fascinating addition to the displays at McManus and I am sure that many people will enjoy this piece of space that has landed in Dundee.”For more on this story, including a contemporary account of the meteor fall, click here.