Jilin Meteorite Museum (吉林陨石博物馆)

The Jilin Meteorite Museum in Fengman District of Jilin City, in Jilin province, is devoted to the Jilin meteorite shower of 8 March 1976, the largest recorded fall of stony meteorites. On that afternoon a bolide crossed the sky over the Jilin area and broke apart, scattering fragments over a wide strip of countryside to the northeast of the city, within the Jilin County area. More than one hundred fragments were recovered, with a total mass of over 2,600 kilograms. The largest, known as Jilin No. 1, weighs about 1,770 kilograms and remains the heaviest single stony meteorite recovered anywhere. The museum exhibits fragments of the fall, including the principal specimens, along with cut and polished sections that show the internal chondrule structure of the stone. Displays explain what meteorites are, how they are classified, the origins of the asteroid belt, and the impact history of the Earth, with models of the solar system and explanatory panels. A section recounts the discovery, search and recovery of the Jilin fragments by local people and scientists in 1976 and the research that followed. The curatorial approach is thematic and educational, moving from the fall itself to meteorite science and comparative specimens, and it is aimed at general visitors and school groups. The museum is a modern, compact building and is quick to tour, taking about an hour. Interpretation is mainly in Chinese with limited English, but the specimens are visually self-explanatory.