Wadsworth Meteorite

Below a 2.40 g from my collection. It was found by someone named Matt  Bradford on March 21, 2026. Here the video when it was found.

Abstract from Meteoritical Bulletin https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.cfm?code=86956

Wadsworth is an officially approved meteorite name for a confirmed meteorite fall that occurred in Ohio, United States, on 17 March 2026. The name was approved on 30 April 2026, and the meteorite is classified within the HED achondrites as a eucritic breccia. The total recovered mass reported to date is 1728 g. The Meteoritical Bulletin Database lists official names and classifications recognized by the Meteoritical Society. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

An Official 2026 Meteorite Fall from Ohio

Wadsworth is one of the notable officially recognized meteorite falls of 2026. It fell on 17 March 2026 in Ohio, United States, after a widely observed daytime fireball crossed the northeastern United States and generated sonic booms over the Cleveland region. The event was particularly well documented because falling meteorite signatures were detected in multiple weather-radar datasets, helping investigators define the strewn field with unusual precision.

The meteorite was officially approved under the name Wadsworth on 30 April 2026. According to the official classification information, it belongs to the HED achondrite clan and is described as a eucritic breccia. The official database framework used for such approval and classification is maintained through the Meteoritical Bulletin Database. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

History of the Fall

Following the bolide event, dark-flight modelling and radar observations predicted a narrow strewn field extending across parts of northeastern Ohio. The first recovered stone weighed only 1.76 g, but many additional specimens were subsequently found. The known distribution of finds defines a narrow strewn field extending roughly south-southwest to north-northeast across the area of Sharon Center, Wadsworth, and Rittman.

The total recovered mass reported in the official write-up is 1728 g, making Wadsworth a scientifically important and well-documented recent fall rather than an isolated single-stone event.

Classification

Wadsworth is classified within the HED achondrites, the meteorite clan associated with basaltic and brecciated rocks thought to derive from a differentiated parent body widely linked to asteroid 4 Vesta. In the official write-up, Wadsworth is described as a eucrite, monomict, while the basic recommended entry records it as Eucrite-mmict. In either case, the meteorite clearly belongs to the eucritic portion of the HED suite and is of considerable scientific importance as a fresh recent fall.

Eucrites are igneous achondrites dominated by pyroxene and calcic plagioclase. They are among the most significant meteorites for understanding crustal evolution on differentiated asteroidal bodies.

Physical Characteristics

The recovered stones are notable for their dark black glossy fusion crust, which may locally vary toward brown. Some individuals exhibit classic flight-orientation features, including well-developed roll-over lips, and certain stones preserve glassy spicules attached to the crust. The stones are described as friable, with a fusion crust typically about 50-200 µm thick and vesicular.

These characteristics make Wadsworth visually striking as a recent fall and especially attractive to collectors interested in fresh crusted eucrites with clear atmospheric-flight features.

Petrography

Petrographically, Wadsworth is described as a breccia composed of lithic and mineral clasts set in a finer cataclastic matrix. The rock is dominated by plagioclase and pyroxene, with a smaller but significant silica component and minor accessory phases. Relict cumulate textures are preserved in some clasts, and the sample also contains tridymite, chromite, ilmenite, fluorapatite, troilite, and minor Fe-metal.

This internal complexity gives Wadsworth scientific importance beyond that of a simple hand specimen. It preserves textural and mineralogical information relevant to the evolution of eucritic crustal rocks and brecciation processes on its parent body.

Geochemistry and Scientific Importance

The mineral chemistry and oxygen-isotope data reported in the official write-up overlap with the established range of HED achondrites. In particular, pyroxene Fe/Mn ratios and oxygen isotopes support the classification of Wadsworth within the eucritic field. Its chemistry overlaps with that of basaltic eucrites, reinforcing its importance for the study of differentiated asteroidal crust.

Because Wadsworth is a recent and well-documented fall, it is especially valuable scientifically. Fresh falls provide material that has undergone minimal terrestrial alteration, making them particularly useful for laboratory study and long-term curation.

A New Official Meteorite from the United States

Officially recognized meteorite falls from the United States are always of special historical and scientific interest, and Wadsworth is no exception. Its recent recovery, radar documentation, narrow strewn field, and fresh crusted stones make it one of the noteworthy North American falls of 2026.

For collectors, institutions, and researchers alike, Wadsworth represents an important modern eucritic fall: official, fresh, visually distinctive, and scientifically meaningful.

Basic Data

• Name: Wadsworth
• Status: Official
• Country: United States
• Fall date: 17 March 2026
• Approval date: 30 April 2026
• Total known mass: 1728 g
• Classification: HED achondrite, eucritic breccia
• Location: Ohio, United States