Iron Meteorite
Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108103612" class="extiw" title="d:Q108103612"><span title="Wikipedian and OpenStreetMap mapper from Cologne, Open Data activist">Raimond Spekking</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NameIron Meteorite
Chemical Formula(Fe,Ni)
Mohs Hardness4
Crystal Systemcubic
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorgray to black
Cleavagepoor to indistinct
Fracturehackly
Specific Gravity7.8
Colorssilvery-gray, dark gray
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityToluca, Mexico
Mineral GroupNative Elements
Usesscientific study, collector, jewelry
Associated Mineralskamacite, taenite, troilite, schreibersite
Rarityuncommon
Description
This is a polished slice of an iron meteorite, displaying a prominent silvery-gray metallic surface with the characteristic Widmanstätten pattern, a unique intergrowth of kamacite and taenite crystals.
Geological Context
Iron meteorites are fragments of the cores of differentiated asteroids that formed in the early solar system. The Widmanstätten pattern is a result of extremely slow cooling (over millions of years) within these asteroid cores, allowing the iron-nickel alloys to crystallize into distinct lamellae.
