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
Locality:
Somervell County, Texas, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched.
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.
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.
Locality:
Cape York, Greenland, North America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures.
Locality:
Happy Canyon, Armstrong County, Texas, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut.
Locality:
Taiban, De Baca County, New Mexico, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.
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.
Locality:
Beddgelert, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales.
Preparation: Replica.
Locality:
Krasnojarsk, Yeniseysk, Krasnoyarskiy Kray, Russia.
Locality:
Estherville, Emmet, Iowa, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished.
Locality:
St Genevieve County, Missouri, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and acid-etched to reveal it characteristic stripes, known as Widmanstätten structures.
Locality:
Samrong, Cambodia, Asia.
Locality:
Thailand ,Asia.(Method of discovery and exact location unknown).
Locality:
Kenna, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.
Locality:
Weldona, Morgan County, Colorado, United States of America.
Preparation: Cut and polished slab.
Locality:
Gibeon, Namibia, Africa.