From Odisha to New York: The 120-year journey of Bholghati Meteorite

Over a century ago, on October 29, 1905, a mysterious object from the sky crashed into the quiet village of Deuli in Mayurbhanj. Locals were startled by loud explosions overhead, followed by two stones falling just a few hundred meters apart.

What they had witnessed was the fall of a meteorite, later named after the nearby Bholghati area. The rock was collected and documented, eventually entering the global records of meteorite falls.

Fast forward to today, and this rare space rock is no longer in Odisha. It has become part of an international scientific collection, carefully preserved at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Though unfamiliar to many, especially in its homeland, Bholghati is a remarkable part of both Odisha’s natural heritage and the wider scientific archive of extraterrestrial materials.

One of Only Three Official Meteorites From Odisha

India has recorded more than 140 confirmed meteorite falls over the past two centuries, but only three have been officially documented from Odisha. The earliest of these is the Bholghati meteorite.

Nearly a century later, the Kendrapara meteorite was recorded in 2003 in Kendrapara district, followed by the discovery of a related fragment in Suniti village, also in 2003.

Among the three, Bholghati stands out for its sheer antiquity and its rare classification. It is identified as a Howardite meteorite, a category so uncommon that it makes up less than one percent of all meteorites found on Earth. Its unique structure and mineral content offer scientists valuable insight into the early solar system.

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How the Bholghati Meteorite Ended Up in the US

When the meteorite fell in 1905, India lacked the necessary research infrastructure to analyse such rare celestial materials.

At the time, it was common practice under British colonial administration to send meteorite samples to museums and laboratories in Europe and North America. Like many other scientific specimens, Bholghati was shipped abroad for study, although detailed documentation of its transfer remains sparse.

Eventually, fragments of the Bholghati meteorite reached the American Museum of Natural History in New York. This institution houses one of the world’s most prestigious meteorite collections, and Bholghati is now catalogued in its archives.

While not always on public display, the meteorite remains accessible to scientists for study and continues to contribute to ongoing research in planetary science.

Why Meteorites Like Bholghati Matter

Meteorites aren’t just chunks of rock drifting through space. They are time capsules that preserve evidence of the earliest days of the solar system.

By analysing meteorites, scientists can unlock vital clues about how planets and asteroids formed, what kinds of minerals existed in space billions of years ago, and even how water and organic material may have reached Earth.

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The Bholghati meteorite, with its unique composition and rich history, provides a compelling story that stretches from the asteroid belt to a peaceful village in Odisha. It holds information about the collisions, geological changes, and chemical processes that shaped our cosmic neighbourhood.

Scientific analysis reveals that much of the Bholghati meteorite crystallised over 4.5 billion years ago, making it nearly as old as the Earth itself.

As the world’s interest in planetary science grows, Bholghati remains an enduring symbol of Odisha’s link to the cosmos.