Space Rock's Epic 4.56 Billion Year Journey Ends in UK

In Wold Newton, East Yorkshire, an obelisk marks the precise location where a meteorite, estimated to be 4.56 billion years old, landed on December 13th, 1795. This stone, known as the Wold Cottage meteorite, was the first to be widely recognized as extraterrestrial and is now displayed at the Natural History Museum. The author visited the unassuming field, noting the landowner's decision to erect a monument and allow public access.

This extraterrestrial event is juxtaposed with a recent fictional occurrence: a meteorite plummeting into a suburban Manchester cul-de-sac, as depicted in Mackenzie Crook's new BBC iPlayer series, 'Small Prophets.' The author finds a personal significance in these two 'space rock' events occurring within the same timeframe, interpreting them as affirmations of possibility and reasons for optimism.