Pallasite Meteorite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Daderot" title="User:Daderot">Daderot</a> (CC0)
Mineral NamePallasite Meteorite
Chemical Formula(Mg,Fe)2SiO4 (olivine) + Fe-Ni (nickel-iron)
Mohs Hardness4.5
Streak ColorWhite (olivine) / Grayish-black (nickel-iron)
CleavagePoor (olivine) / None (nickel-iron)
FractureConchoidal (olivine) / Hackly (nickel-iron)
Specific Gravity4.5
Colorsolive-green, yellowish-green, silvery-gray, dark gray
TransparencyTranslucent (olivine) / Opaque (nickel-iron)
Type LocalityThiel Mountains, Antarctica
Mineral GroupStony-iron meteorite (Pallasite group)
Usesscientific study, collector's item, jewelry
Associated Mineralsolivine, nickel-iron, troilite, schreibersite
Rarityrare
Description
This image displays a slice of a pallasite meteorite, featuring numerous translucent, yellowish-green olivine crystals intricately embedded within a dark, silvery-gray metallic nickel-iron matrix, creating a striking, irregular pattern.
Geological Context
Pallasites are thought to originate from the core-mantle boundary of differentiated asteroids, where molten metal and silicate minerals mixed in the early solar system, eventually fragmenting and falling to Earth as meteorites.
