The Winchcombe Meteorite
Lead Research Organisation:
Natural History Museum
Department Name: Earth Sciences
Abstract
Our aims are to:
1. Engage the local population. We will reach out to the entire population of Winchcombe and Woodmancote to share our excitement about the meteorite fall. This is the first meteorite recovered in the UK in 30 years and we hope that we can engage the local population in such a way that they are as excited as we are about the event, and enable it to become and important and well-recorded and well-remembered part of their local history.
2. Educate the local population. We will use this very 'human-scale' event as a portal to dive into other aspects of STFC-related science. We will discuss how this meteorite, as old as the solar system, can tell us about our origins and how planets formed and evolved. We will introduce older pupils to our work, for example, at the Diamond Light Source, studying the space rock at a microscopic scale.
3. Recover new material. The reason for the urgency of this request and its focus on the local area, is to enable to local population to search for new fragments of the meteorite. The chondrite fell as a shower of very friable material, and many of the smaller finds to date were very fortuitous. It is highly likely that more material is on the ground, and we would like local citizens to assist us in searching for more invaluable material.
1. Engage the local population. We will reach out to the entire population of Winchcombe and Woodmancote to share our excitement about the meteorite fall. This is the first meteorite recovered in the UK in 30 years and we hope that we can engage the local population in such a way that they are as excited as we are about the event, and enable it to become and important and well-recorded and well-remembered part of their local history.
2. Educate the local population. We will use this very 'human-scale' event as a portal to dive into other aspects of STFC-related science. We will discuss how this meteorite, as old as the solar system, can tell us about our origins and how planets formed and evolved. We will introduce older pupils to our work, for example, at the Diamond Light Source, studying the space rock at a microscopic scale.
3. Recover new material. The reason for the urgency of this request and its focus on the local area, is to enable to local population to search for new fragments of the meteorite. The chondrite fell as a shower of very friable material, and many of the smaller finds to date were very fortuitous. It is highly likely that more material is on the ground, and we would like local citizens to assist us in searching for more invaluable material.
Planned Impact
We will produce a pack of teaching, experiment and display material that we can share with teachers, other researchers and use ourselves in future projects.
Our aim is to broaden the project to Cheltenham and nationally in further engagement work. We will seek and take advice from the STFC engagement team about how we can develop this opportunity further.
We will submit our outputs to Researchfish.
We will write up our experience in engaging the public in blogs, websites or as a popular article.
Our aim is to broaden the project to Cheltenham and nationally in further engagement work. We will seek and take advice from the STFC engagement team about how we can develop this opportunity further.
We will submit our outputs to Researchfish.
We will write up our experience in engaging the public in blogs, websites or as a popular article.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Sara Russell (Principal Investigator) | |
| Ashley King (Co-Investigator) |
| Description | We gave presentations at all the local primary schools around Winchcombe about the new meteorite fall. In addition, we hosted an event for secondary schools at Winchcombe School, where we talked about the Winchcombe meteorite, meteorites more broadly and we made a comet. The event attracted the local TV news. We also worked with the Winchcombe museum to develop an exhibit around the meteorite (https://www.winchcombemuseum.org.uk) In addition we held a stall at the Winchcombe Country Show, participated in the Winchcombe Arts Festival, and presented to schools as part of the Cheltenham Science festival. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | School Visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Following the fall of the Winchcombe meteorite we visited 8 primary schools and 1 secondary school (Winchcombe School) and gave talks at each. For Winchcombe school, other local schools also bussed in to see our talks and presentations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Stall and demonstration |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Hosted a stall at the Winchcombe Country Show to discuss the Winchcombe meteorite and to look at possible meteorite fragments collected by the public. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gave a talk at the Winchcombe Arts Festival |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |