Meteorites

Canyon Diablo metallic meteorite from Arizona. Some of the distinctive and diagnostic minerals are identified. This specimen is in the Chicago Field Museum.

A quite different looking stony meteorite that fell in Colorado. Note how different it is from the metallic meteorite above. This specimen is in the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.

This is a distinctive and striking type of meteorite known as a pallasite with large oliving crystals within a metallic matrix. They are thought to be some mix of mantle and core from a past planetary body in the solar system. This one fell in Kansas. Pallasites are prized by collectors. This specimen is also housed in the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.

This is another pallasite from the same collection. Note the fragmental character of this sample, which indicates something important about its formation history.

This is a very rare meteorite - a chunk of Mars that was launched out of that planet's gravitational reach by an impact, and then made its way to earth. This is also in the American Museum of Natural History collection.

Usually nothing of consequence is hit, but in this case this car was hit. Sample and photo housed in the Chicago Field Museum.