Abstract
We recover a report in the "HOY" regional newspaper about a presumed meteorite fall near Cabeza la Vaca, Spain. The report details observable effects like a crater, uprooted tree, and a destroyed fence. While the exact date is unknown, it likely occurred within a week of 1970 January 27. The report lacks the crater size specification. This research note underscores the potential significance of the reported meteorite fall, encouraging further investigation.
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1. Introduction
The recovery of meteorites is one of the most important tasks to understand the smaller bodies in our solar system, as well as their origin and evolution. Although hundreds of these pieces have been collected over the past centuries, the recovery of a meteorite is always big news for the international scientific community. For instance, some recent meteorite recoveries took place in Cavezzo, Italy (Gardiol et al. 2021), Žd'ár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic (Spurný et al. 2020), and Chelyabinsk, Russia (Popova et al. 2013).
During an exhaustive search for geophysical and astronomical news in a regional newspaper called "HOY," we found an article narrating the alleged fall of a meteorite and the damages it caused on a property near the town of Cabeza la Vaca (38°05'12''N, 6°25'16''W, 759 masl), in southwestern Spain (Extremadura region). Our aim with this note is to preserve the information we have located for the international scientific community and encourage efforts to locate this possible meteorite. It is worth noting that, in a similar search in another local newspaper in the Extremadura region, the observation of a superbolide in this region on 1926 December 27 was found (Vaquero et al. 2023).
2. A Report in the "HOY" Newspaper
The regional newspaper "HOY," based in the city of Badajoz, is the longest-running periodic publication still in circulation in the Badajoz province (SW Spain). It was founded in 1933. In this newspaper, we have found a short report of an event that is compatible with a meteorite fall.
The report was published on 1970 January 27. We reproduce the original text in Spanish and a translation into English:
"¿Un meteorito?
Hace unos días y en la finca denominada Puerto Lobo, de este término municipal [Cabeza la Vaca], y propiedad de don Rafael Pérez Gómez, han encontrado un eucaliptus arrancado de cuajo y en su lugar hay una especie de caldera. Esto no tendría gran importancia si no fuera porque una alambrada, que dista de esta caldera unos seis metros, ha quedado destruida en un tramo de 50 metros, quedando el alambre hecho trocitos y de un color azulado, como si los hubiesen soldado unos a otros.
Al parecer, y según voces dignas de crédito, todo ha sido producido por un meteorito que algunos dicen haber visto pasar en forma de cántaro de fuego."
[A meteorite?
A few days ago, on the estate known as Puerto Lobo in this municipal area [Cabeza la Vaca], owned by Mr. Rafael Pérez Gómez, a eucalyptus tree was found uprooted, replaced by what seems to be a kind of caldera. This would not be of much importance if it were not for the fact that a fence, about six meters away from this caldera, has been destroyed in a section of 50 meters. The wire has been shattered and turned bluish, as if it had been welded together.
Apparently, according to credible sources, all this has been caused by a meteorite that some claim to have seen passing in the form of a "fire jug."]
Several aspects of this report deserve highlighting. First, the exact date is unknown. The anonymous author of the report uses the expression "a few days ago," suggesting that the described events likely took place some days before January 27 (no more than a week). Second, it is indicated that there were witnesses to the alleged meteorite fall, and the term "cántaro de fuego" ("fire jug") is used to describe the fireball before impact. We think that the witnesses are referring to the apparent shape of the bolide since in this region it is common for jugs to have a rounded and elongated shape. Third, there are several visible effects of the impact: a crater, a toppled tree, and a destroyed fence. The word "caldera" is used, which in Spanish is employed to describe the crater of a volcano. Unfortunately, the size of the crater is not specified.
3. Conclusion
This research note discusses a report in the "HOY" newspaper about a presumed meteorite fall near Cabeza la Vaca, Spain, with observable effects like crater, uprooted tree, and a destroyed fence. The report lacks the exact date but implies it is within a week of 1970 January 27. The term "cántaro de fuego" is used for the fireball, and the effects resemble those of a meteorite impact, though the crater size is not specified. This report merits attention due to potential meteorite fall evidence, inviting further investigation.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Economy and Infrastructure Counselling of the Junta of Extremadura through project IB20080.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.