Dear List,
Happy anniversary to the Butsura meteorite (H6), whose anniversary of
its fall from the heavens on May 12, 1861 is today.
If today is your birthday whether you be in India, Mexico or Germany,
... happy birthday!
Did anyone notice Svend's site has a writeup on this fall with the
strewn field illustrated (sixth image down
http://www.niger-meteorite-recon.de/en/meteoriten_vk_hist.htm ), by
none other than the namesake of Maskelynite, Nevil Story Maskelyne?
As a tidbit that Butsura links to this day ... Nevil Story was the
grandson of the great English astronomer and aristocrat, the Longitude
guru Nevil Maskelyne. That's the guy somewhat responsible for making
Greenwich the origin of longitude, and a very decorated English
gentleman indeed. (If you tire of politics and the way history gets
officially recorded, truth or not, read the exciting but frustrating
book, "Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the
Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time." It is about John Harrison,
who grandpa Maskelyne, enamored by measuring the moon, the astronomer
he was, and not precision timepieces, reputedly pulled a fast one on
and denied him the recognition and prize money from the crown he
deserved for that day's equivalent of the X-Prize which Harrison
apparently won in a story of brilliance and technical dexterity. Only
after intervention by the King himself, who threatened to kick some
aristocratic butts was a pseudorecognition arranged.
Best wishes,
Doug
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