Kesen meteorite

The Kesen (Japanese気 仙 陨石, Kesen inseki ) is the largest meteorite found in Japan. He is classified as an ordinary chondrite group H4.

The meteorite struck records of the Shogunate governor (代 官, Daikan ) and the district magistrates (郡 奉行, Kori Bugyo ) on 13 June 1850 in a field in front of the temple Choen -ji (长 圆 寺, also长 円 寺) in today's district Kesenchō - Ushizawa in Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture.

Since this was interpreted as a bad omen, as a precaution were demons with a " tiger dance " (虎 舞, toramai ) fended off the still as Futsukaichi Toramai (二 日 市 虎 舞) is listed every year.

When the meteorite was in 1894 the Imperial Museum (now Tokyo National Museum ) passed, it was 135 kg (36 kan) hard, with parts had been removed previously. Then pieces were taken for scientific research, in turn, so that the meteorite now weighs only 106 kg. This, the largest portion is in the National Museum of Natural Sciences.

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