A meteorite on my knee

By Grant Jacobs • 11/12/2015

The heft of the thing was impressive for something that fitted the palm of my hand. And the crystallisation (?) patterns of the metal intriguing.

Here’s a closer look –

I know very little about meteorites, but it was great to hold a chunk of metal that has been hurling around in outer space.

This piece of space debris was handed out to the crowd after a talk at a recent Science Communicator’s Association of New Zealand meeting.

We were told it’s worth around $20,000. (I promise I didn’t casually drop it into my bag…)

The photo isn’t very good (at all), a hurried snap with the cell phone. My apologies, but it was all I could manage at the time.

Ross Marks says:

11/12/2015 at 7:15 pm

The patterns on the polished meteorite are called widmanstatten patterns. They result from a molten piece of iron cooling VERY slowly (millions of years), with each nickel/iron crystal growing very large.
- Grant Jacobs says:
  
  11/12/2015 at 9:31 pm
  
  Thanks Ross.
  
  Great to learn. I know I ought to look these things up, and usually do, but with a long Friday I’m happy to just put the photo up and let others fill me in!