Meteorite Prospector

WHERE DO METEORITES COME FROM?

Roughly 100 stones fall for every iron or stoney-iron.
Hunting for stones improves the chance of finding a meteorite.

During the primordial phase ofthe forming solar system intense magnetic fields interacted with small planetisimals creating enough heat to cause melting. Iron meteorites formed the core of these bodies composed of iron/nickel alloy with smaller amounts of iron loving elements such as gold, platinum and iridium that sank to the center of the forming planetesimal (fig 1). Stoney-irons are the outer layer of the core. Achondrite stones represent the crust and mantle.

Chondrite stones (fig 2) are believed to be residual cosmic matter that never accreted into planetesimals.

Chondrites are the most abundant stone meteorites composed of little sphericle minerals called chondrules thought to contain interstellar dust from the original solar nebula.

Achondrites are the rarest of the stone meteorites though twice as plentiful as carbonaceous chondrites thought to be formed by a melting and recrystalization process on a chondrite parent body that completely destroyed the chondrule structures.

Carbonaceous chondrites (fig 3) are considered to be cometary in origin containing water and other volatile compounds.

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Prospecting for Stones

Identifying Stone Meteorites

Meteorite Galleries I, II, III, IV

Locating Meteorites