Meteorite Science

A Sikhote-Alin Meteorite Discovery: The Missing Link

Posted on 2011/03/26 by geoking

The February, 1947 fall of the Sikhote-Alin iron in a remote part of eastern Siberia was, by far, the largest recorded meteorite event in history. While Campo del Cielo (Argentina), Muonionalusta (Sweden), and Gibeon (Namibia) may possibly have deposited more meteorites in terms of sheer tonnage, they all took place in prehistoric times. If those &hellip Continue reading »

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The Millbillillie Meteorite: Part of the Asteroid Vesta?

Posted on 2011/03/23 by geoking

The Millbillillie eucrite belongs to one of the rarest meteorite types. It is part of the HED group, which also includes howardites and diogenites. Eucrites are achondrites, meaning “not chondrites,” so they are lacking in chondrules—the small, spherical, pre-solar grains that give the common chondrites their name. Millbillillie meteorites are volcanic rock from other worlds, &hellip Continue reading »

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Learn About Meteorites: Rollover Lips

Posted on 2011/03/20 by geoking

When falling through our atmosphere on the way to an impact with the Earth, most meteorites spin and tumble, often acquiring the interesting sculptural shapes. A very few maintain a fixed orientation towards our planet’s surface. Heat ablation may cause those meteorites to acquire a conical, dome, or shield-shape, reminiscent of the heat shield on &hellip Continue reading »

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