Iron meteorite
Meteorite, tektite, or impactite
Also called Siderite (old term)
Take care.
- Breaks down in damp air: Keep it dry and in steady humidity; some crumble or rot as they take on moisture.
About it
A mass of iron-nickel metal, far heavier than an ordinary rock its size and strongly magnetic, often with thumbprint-like regmaglypts. Etched slices of most show a Widmanstätten pattern; keep dry, as many rust.
- Type
- Meteorite, tektite, or impactite (iron)
- Group
- Iron meteorite
- Specific gravity
- 7.5–8
- Lustre
- metallic
- Colours
- black to brown crust, steel grey when cut, rusty brown when weathered
- Transparency
- opaque
- Magnetic
- Strongly
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.