On July 27, 2018, Madagascar experienced an extraordinary evening: the total lunar eclipse—the famous “Blood Moon.” That same night, a brilliant fireball and the subsequent meteorite fall occurred near Benenitra.
Large complete Benenitra meteorite weighing 520 g and preserving its original dark fusion crust following rapid recovery after the 2018 Madagascar witnessed fall. A substantial and highly authentic example of this fresh L6 ordinary chondrite.
This 520 g Benenitra meteorite is a complete stone recovered shortly after the observed fall in Madagascar.
Its fresh preservation allowed the meteorite to retain a continuous atmospheric fusion crust over the entire specimen.
The stone displays natural atmospheric textures produced during entry through Earth’s atmosphere at cosmic velocity.
Its uncut state preserves the meteorite exactly as recovered after impact.
Benenitra remains one of the most important recent meteorite falls officially documented in Madagascar.
Large complete individuals such as this specimen are especially appreciated for their rarity and strong display quality.
On July 27, 2018, Madagascar experienced an extraordinary evening: the total lunar eclipse—the famous “Blood Moon.” That same night, a brilliant fireball and the subsequent meteorite fall occurred near Benenitra.
People recovered stones very soon after the fall, and one detail shocked them: the rocks felt cold in the hand. Combined with the eclipse atmosphere and the red Moon overhead, a rumor spread rapidly—these must be pieces of the Moon that fell during the eclipse.
In fact, the very first message I received about this event—only a few days later—was someone contacting me to sell “pieces of the Moon.” That is how the Benenitra fall entered my world: through a story that perfectly illustrates how powerful a rare sky event can be on human perception.
