| Homestead | |
|---|---|
 20.4 g partial slice taken from the 450 g fragment that resided in theAMNH for over a century | |
| Type | Chondrite |
| Class | Ordinary chondrite |
| Group | L5 |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41°48′N91°52′W / 41.800°N 91.867°W /41.800; -91.867[1] |
| Observed fall | Yes |
| Fall date | 1875-02-12 |
| TKW | 230 kg |
| Strewn field | Yes |
| Alternative names | Amana, Iowa County |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
Homestead is a L5meteorite fallen on 12 February 1875 inIowa,United States, first described byGustavus Detlef Hinrichs.Sometimes called the Amana meteorite because of the nearbyAmana Colonies it was called the Homestead meteorite, becauseHomestead, Iowa was the nearest train station. The Amana meteorites also include a large meteorite fallen in May 1879.
On the evening of 12 February 1875 aboveIowa a brilliantfireball was observed. It produced a variety of rumbling sounds and detonations, which shook houses "as if moved by an earthquake".[2]
About 100meteorite fragments fell over a 18-square-mile (47 km2) snowy countryside area fromAmana toBoltonville inIowa County.[3]
The first found fragment, a stone weighing about 3.5 kilograms (7.7 lb), was discovered by Sarah Sherlock 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south ofHomestead.[3] The area was wooded and covered by snow, impeding recovery efforts. On 10 February a 40 centimetres (16 in) snowfall blanketed the ground, preventing the great majority of the fragments from being discovered until spring. The 74 pounds (34 kg)main mass was found along with a 48 pounds (22 kg) fragment buried 2 feet (0.61 m) in the soil.[3]
The meteorite made international news.Gustavus Detlef Hinrichs, a natural scientist from theUniversity of Iowa reported about it inPopular Science Monthly in 1875.
As of December 2011, approximately 230 kilograms (510 lb) has been found.[citation needed]
The meteorite has brought "a small fortune" to the Amana area, as pieces were sold for a day s wage per pound at the time and added to collections in the US and Europe.[2]
The Amana meteorites also include a large meteorite fallen inEstherville, Iowa on May 10, 1879. Its largest piece weighed 437 pounds and buried 14 feet deep into a farm field. It is the largest witnessed meteorite in North America.[2] The largest piece can be visited at the Estherville Meteorite Center, in downtown Estherville.[4]
It is a L5 typeordinary chondrite. It is also brecciated and veined.[citation needed]
