The Sikhote-Alin meteorite fell during daylight at 10.38am local time on February 12, 1947, in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, about 270 miles northeast of Vladisvostok. Witnesses reported a fireball that was brighter than the Sun. It came from the north and left a trail of smoke and dust that was 20 miles long. The speed of entry was estimated to be about 31,000 miles per hour, and as it entered the atmosphere it began to break apart. At an altitude of approximately 3.5 miles the largest mass apparently broke up in a violent explosion, scattering fragments over about a square kilometre. There are two distinct types of Sikhote-Alin: shrapnel-like fragments resulting from this explosion, and complete individuals which probably broke off the main mass early in the descent. The surfaces were vaporised and eroded in the atmosphere such as is visible on the present specimen, producing the sculpted cavities or regmalypts ("thumbprints"). These specimens therefore show an ablation or fusion crust, which is a much sought-after characteristic. This 22kg individual exhibits the crust in its original form and is an outstanding example from one of the most spectacular meteorite falls of recorded history.