The Perth Meteorite
Fell 12.30pm 17th May 1830 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

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PERTH (LL5)
Most of the 7 inch diameter Perth meteorite has been lost over the centuries. A lowly total of 2 grams is all that now remains.

From the Philosophical magazine and Journal of Science, 1863, Vol 25, p437

Notices of Aerolites. By Nevil Story Maskelyne.
10. Perth.

A small stone fell on the field known as the North Inch at Perth on May 17, 1830. The only record of its fall that I have as yet been able to trace is that which accompanied two small specimens of the aerolite, and is in the handwriting of the late Dr. Thomson of Glasgow, in whose collection it was preserved. Mr. Nevill became the owner of the specimens, and presented one of them to the Museum. He very liberally also let me have a microscopic section cut from his own specimen.

The note in Dr. Thomson's writing is as follows:˜-"Part of a meteorolite that fell on the North Inch of Perth during a thunderstorm on the 17th of May, 1830, at half-past 12 o'clock noon. The mass of which this is a portion was about 7 inches in diameter."

The section of this little stone exhibits a beautiful structure, placing it high in the series of chondritic aerolites. The spherules in it are rather numerous and pretty distinct, and exhibit great variety. The fanned kind of spherule, and some very sharp crystals of a mineral with a diagonal cleavage, are set in a small amount of a granular ground-mass. The general aspect of the stone presents a bluish-grey hue.

The iron in it is present in small particles very sparingly scattered, and also in some amount as fine microscopic (introcrystalline) dust. The particles of meteoric pyrites are in considerable excess over the iron particles, and there are seen here and there on a section small isolated spots of rust. Its specific gravity is = 3.494.

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