25.4g Aletai Meteorite - Beautiful Pattern - From The Core Of An Asteroid!

You are viewing a stunning full slice of the famous Aletai meteorite!  This specimen weighs 278.9g and has beautiful inclusions in it. This is a perfect iron meteorite to add to any collection, and is quite large for extra viewing pleasure!

About Aletai:

Since 1898, five massive iron-rich meteorites have been discovered scattered over a vast area of approximately 430 kilometers along the China-Mongolia border. It wasn't until recent years, however, that scientists were able to identify all five fragments as remnants of the same ancient space rock, now known as Aletai.

This iron meteorite created the longest known strewnfield known today, and computer models suggest that the unusual entry angle of Aletai is responsible for its unprecedented dispersal pattern.  As the meteorite skipped across the Earth's surface, it released energy gradually over its long trajectory, rather than concentrating it upon impact. This unusual flight pattern provides strong evidence that the Aletai meteorites originated from a single event.

About Iron Meteorites: 

Iron meteorites consist of almost entirely nickel and iron.  During the early years of our solar system, large asteroids melted and its nickel and iron sank to the core of the asteroid. Depending on the specific group and sub type of an iron meteorite, its crystal structure (also known as a Widmanstätten pattern) can be revealed through acid etching - a process that requires skillful work from a professional who will properly stabilize, slice and polish a meteorite prior to the etching phase.  This pattern is what we call a meteorite's thumbprint - a unique pattern that cannot be reproduced on any terrestrial iron and requires cooling of 1 single degree every 10,000 years.