Meteorites Found in Nebraska: 50 Documented

Nebraska has 50 officially recognized meteorites — 3 witnessed falls and 47 finds. The largest, Potter (L6 — ordinary chondrite (low iron)), weighed 261 kg. The record here spans 121 years — from York (iron) in 1878 to Sandy Creek in 1999.

38 ordinary chondrites10 iron meteorites1 enstatite chondrite1 achondrite from asteroid Vesta

Name	Classification	Mass	Fell / Found	Year	GPS
Potter	L6	261 kg	Found	1941	41.233, -103.300
Owasco	L6	168.4 kg	Found	1984	41.200, -103.683
Brainard	Iron, IIIAB	138.3 kg	Found	1978	41.153, -96.955
Ainsworth	Iron, IIAB	80.7 kg	Found	1907	42.600, -99.800
Bayard	L5	75 kg	Found	1982	41.817, -103.367
Linwood	Iron, IAB-MG	46 kg	Found	1940	41.433, -96.967
Dix	L6	44 kg	Found	1927	41.233, -103.483
Hebron	H6	21.8 kg	Found	1965	40.167, -97.600
Arcadia	LL6	19.4 kg	Found	1937	41.417, -99.100
Benedict	Iron, IIIAB	16.4 kg	Found	1970	41.000, -97.533
Cole Creek	H5	16.3 kg	Found	1991	41.350, -99.117
Tryon	L6	15.9 kg	Found	1934	41.550, -100.967
Huntsman	H4	14.5 kg	Found	1910	41.183, -103.000
Lancaster County	Iron	13 kg	Found	1903	40.667, -96.750
Huntsman (b)	H3	10.2 kg	Found	1977	41.225, -103.027
Eagle	EL6	10 kg	Fell	—	40.782, -96.472
Kearney	H5	10 kg	Found	1934	40.683, -99.067
Amherst	L6	8.5 kg	Found	1947	40.800, -99.200
Kennard	H5	8.2 kg	Found	1961	41.483, -96.167
Sutton	H5	7.6 kg	Found	1964	40.600, -97.867
Brandon	L6/7	7.6 kg	Found	1975	40.810, -101.802
Marsland	H5	6.9 kg	Found	1933	42.450, -103.300
Broken Bow	H4	6.8 kg	Found	1937	41.433, -99.700
Lushton	L6	6.7 kg	Found	1914	40.750, -97.750
Oliver	L6	6.7 kg	Found	1984	41.200, -103.683
Oxford	H5	6 kg	Found	1985	40.167, -99.667
Sidney	L	6 kg	Found	1941	41.050, -102.900
Culbertson	H4	5.9 kg	Found	1913	40.233, -100.833
Hayes Center	L6	4.5 kg	Found	1941	40.517, -101.033
Farnum	L5	4.2 kg	Found	1937	40.250, -100.233
Sioux County	Eucrite-mmict	4.1 kg	Fell	1933	42.583, -103.667
Indianola	L5	4 kg	Found	1939	40.233, -100.417
McCook	L6	3.6 kg	Found	—	40.020, -100.783
Ogallala	Iron, IAB-sLL	3.3 kg	Found	1918	41.167, -101.667
Hildreth	L5	3.1 kg	Found	1894	40.333, -99.033
Loomis	L6	3 kg	Found	1933	40.467, -99.500
Red Willow	Iron	2.8 kg	Found	1899	40.250, -100.500
Valentine	L4	2.3 kg	Found	1942	42.933, -100.750
York (stone)	L6	1.4 kg	Found	1928	40.867, -97.600
Morrill	Iron, IAB-an	1.4 kg	Found	1920	42.183, -103.933
Sandy Creek	L5	1.3 kg	Found	1999	40.433, -98.067
Bushnell	H4	1.2 kg	Found	1939	41.233, -103.900
Cotesfield	L6	1.2 kg	Found	1928	41.367, -98.633
York (iron)	Iron, IIIAB	835 g	Found	1878	40.750, -97.500
Lorenzo	L5	612 g	Found	1941	41.033, -102.883
St. Ann	H6	374 g	Found	1938	40.450, -100.750
Mariaville	Iron	340 g	Fell	1898	42.717, -99.383
Whitman	H5	221 g	Found	1937	42.033, -101.500
Republican River	H4	135 g	Found	1942	40.083, -98.917
Blackwood Creek	H6	67 g	Found	1998	40.500, -101.083

Reading the classifications

H, L, LL (ordinary chondrites)

The most common meteorites — stony, with visible metal flecks. H = high iron content, L = low, LL = very low. The digit (3–6) says how much the parent asteroid heated it: 3 is the most pristine.

Carbonaceous chondrites (CM, CV, CO…)

Primitive, carbon-bearing stones that predate the planets — some carry water-bearing minerals and amino acids. Fragile and rare on the ground.

Irons (IAB, IIIAB…)

Solid nickel-iron from the shattered cores of asteroids. Dense, magnetic, and the easiest meteorites to recognize — most of the biggest US finds are irons.

Pallasites & mesosiderites (stony-irons)

The showpieces: pallasites are gem-quality olivine suspended in polished metal, from the core-mantle boundary of destroyed asteroids.

Achondrites (eucrite, howardite…)

Volcanic rocks from bodies large enough to melt — most trace to the asteroid Vesta; the rarest are from the Moon and Mars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many meteorites have been found in Nebraska?

50 meteorites from Nebraska are officially recognized in the scientific record — 3 witnessed falls and 47 finds. The largest is Potter at 261 kg.

Can I hunt for meteorites in Nebraska?

On BLM-managed public land, casual collecting is legal without a permit: surface finds, up to 10 lb per person per year, personal use only. National parks prohibit all collecting, and on private land the meteorite belongs to the landowner. Always verify land status before hunting.

How do I know if a rock is a meteorite?

Quick field checks: meteorites are unusually dense, most attract a magnet (iron-nickel content), fresh ones have a thin black fusion crust, and many show regmaglypts (thumbprint-like depressions). Slag and magnetite are the common false alarms.

⚠️ Always verify current regulations, weather conditions, and access requirements before visiting any location. Information provided is based on community submissions and may not be current or accurate.

Coordinates are historical find locations from the scientific record, often approximate — not guaranteed collecting spots; verify land status and permissions before hunting. Source of record: Meteoritical Bulletin Database (Meteoritical Society).