50th anniversary of the discovery of the first shatter cones and tribute to François Kraut, discoverer of the “Rochechouart impact”

Fifty years ago, on August 14, 1969, François Kraut, a mineralogist and geologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, accompanied by NASA’s Bevan French and his wife, Mary Hill French, discovered the first shatter-cones in the region of Rochechouart-Chassenon, thanks to their meeting with Mrs. Solange Boulesteix, who resided, and still resides in the village of Fontceverane. This discovery allowed François Kraut to confirm the region of Rochechouart-Chassenon as the site of an impact of an asteroid in a communication he gave at the French Academy of Sciences on October 1969. The site was then recognized by the international community and joined the official list of authenticated impact craters on Earth, under the name ” Rochechouart impact”. Until his death in 1983, François Kraut stayed in touch with Madame Boulesteix and her family.