Two rocks that fell from the sky in the remote village of Khalwat-Nimgaon, located in Beed’s Wadwani taluka, Maharashtra, have been confirmed as meteorites. The event occurred at around 14:00 LT (08:30 UTC) on March 3, 2025. One of the meteorites pierced the tin roof of a farmer’s house, while the other landed in a nearby field.
The objects were examined on-site by MGM APJ Abdul Kalam Astro and Space Science Centre.
“Considering the gravity, magnetic properties, and other parameters, the objects seem to be small parts of an asteroid that entered the Earth’s atmosphere. We are further studying these objects,” Dr. Shriniwas Aundhkar, the center’s director, stated.
The meteorites, weighing approximately 280 g (9.9 oz), were collected for further study by the Beed district administration. Witnesses reported that the stones felt cool to the touch.
A similar event took place in Bhojade village, approximately 120 km (75 miles) from Pune, on January 24, 2023. The impact shattered into several fragments, leaving a 50 mm (2 inches) scar on the floor of a resident’s bedroom. The total collected mass of the meteorite was around 1 kg (2.2 lb).
India has documented over 700 meteorite falls since 1621, with each event adding valuable data to planetary science. Ordinary chondrites, which comprise approximately 85% of all recorded meteorite falls, remain among the most studied extraterrestrial materials because of their preserved mineralogy and chemical composition.
References:
1 Scientists confirm meteorite fall in Beed village – THE TIMES OF INDIA – March 5, 2025
2 Meteorite-like dense objects fall in Maharashtra’s Beed, sample taken for study – Hindustan Times – March 6, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.