Meteorites

Meteorites are natural pieces of rock that fall to Earth from outer space. As they pass through the atmosphere, the outer layers are heated by friction, causing them to glow brightly and giving rise to the visual phenomena of a shooting star.

Some meteorites are as old, or older, than the age of the Earth. Their chemical composition preserves information on the earliest history of our Solar System and can give clues to how they, and our planet, might have formed.

Below is a selection of images from the Meteorite collections held at Amgueddfa Cymru - click on an image to find out more.

Meteorites

Meteorite: Stoney-iron, pallasite (PAL)
Stoney-iron, pallasite (PAL)
Locality:

Somervell County, Texas, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched.

Meteorite: Iron, group IIIA
Iron, group IIIA
Locality:

Sacramento Mountains, Eddy County, New Mexico, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures. Specimen sealed from atmospheric moisture to prevent oxidising.

Meteorite: Iron Group IA
Iron Group IA
Locality:

Odessa, Ector County, Texas, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures. Specimen sealed from atmospheric moisture to prevent oxidising.

Meteorite: Iron Group IIIAB
Iron Group IIIAB
Locality:

Cape York, Greenland, North America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures.

Meteorite: Chondrite, enstatite (E6)
Chondrite, enstatite (E6)
Locality:

Happy Canyon, Armstrong County, Texas, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut.

Meteorite: Chondrite, olivine-hypersthene (L5)
Chondrite, olivine-hypersthene (L5)
Locality:

Taiban, De Baca County, New Mexico, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.

Meteorite: Iron, octahedrite IIB
Iron, octahedrite IIB
Locality:

Maritime Province, Russia.
Fall recorded at 10:38 am UT on 12th February 1947 in thick forest in the Sikhote Alin Mountains, 40km from Novopoltavka. 106 impact holes identified, largest 28m across over an area of 100 x 660m.

Meteorite: Chondrite, olivine-bronzite (H5)
Chondrite, olivine-bronzite (H5)
Locality:

Beddgelert, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales.
Preparation: Replica.

Meteorite: Stoney-iron, pallasite (PAL)
Stoney-iron, pallasite (PAL)
Locality:

Krasnojarsk, Yeniseysk, Krasnoyarskiy Kray, Russia.

Meteorite: Stoney-iron, mesosiderite (MES)
Stoney-iron, mesosiderite (MES)
Locality:

Estherville, Emmet, Iowa, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished.

Meteorite: Iron, group IIIF
Iron, group IIIF
Locality:

St Genevieve County, Missouri, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures.

Meteorite: Tektite-indochinite
Tektite-indochinite
Locality:

Samrong, Cambodia, Asia.

Meteorite: Tektit-indochinit
Tektite-indochinite
Locality:

Thailand ,Asia.(Method of discovery and exact location unknown).

Meteorite: Achondrite, Ca-poor, Urelite (AURE)
Achondrite, Ca-poor, Urelite (AURE)
Locality:

Kenna, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.

Meteorite: Chondrite (H4)
Chondrite (H4)
Locality:

Weldona, Morgan County, Colorado, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.

Meteorite
Meteorite
Locality:

Gibeon, Namibia, Africa.

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