An In-Depth Look At Meteorites
Date: January 2026
Author: Erin - Little Star Shop
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How To Find/Identify a Meteorite
Meteorites are ancient relics from the early solar system, often dating back around 4.5 billion years when the planets first formed. This blog post will explore exactly what meteorites are, the main types of meteorites, the main differences between them, and how they differ, how to identify a genuine meteorite, and the fascinating history behind these extra-terrestrial rocks.
What is a Meteorite?
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object such such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originated in outer space, surviving its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere. When these objects are still in space, they're referred to as meteoroids. As they enter Earth's atmosphere, friction causes them to heat up and glow, creating a fiery streak we refer to as a meteor (or a "shooting star"). If a meteoroid is large enough to survive this fiery descent to the Earth's surface without completely burning up in the atmosphere, it becomes a meteorite.
Main Types Of Meteorites
Scientists group meteorites into three broad types based on how much metal they contain and how they formed. These types include stony meteorites, iron meteorites, and stony-iron meteorites.
Stony Meteorites
Made mostly of silicate minerals, making up over 90% of all known meteorites.
Chondrites: Stony meteorites are commonly referred to as chondrites, meaning that the specimen contains tiny rounded non-metallic mineral grains called chondrules. Chondrites have not been modified by melting or differentiation of the parent body. They represent primitive remnants of early Solar System formation, offering important clues about the early Solar System.
Achondrites: An achondrite is a stony meteorite that lacks chondrules (tiny spherical mineral grains). They are less primitive than chondrites, representing igneous rocks from differentiated bodies like the Moon or Mars. These meteorites are basically frozen lava rocks which came from worlds which separated into layers (such as the Moon and Mars), rather than from simple unmelted objects. Achondrites undergo melting and recrystallization similar to volcanic or plutonic rocks on Earth, offering insights into how the planets formed.
IRON METEORITES
Iron meteorites make up only about 5% of observed meteorite falls. They are composed mostly of iron–nickel metal and are thought to be fragments of asteroid cores that once melted and separated into metal and rock.
When you slice an iron meteorite thin, polish it smooth and drip acid on it, a beautiful criss-cross crystal pattern called the Widmanstätten structure often appears. This indicates that the metal cooled super slowly in space—over millions of years deep inside an asteroid—a process that can't happen on Earth's surface, indicating extra-terrestrial origin.
Stony‑iron meteorites
These rare meteorites have equal amounts of metal and rocky material, often with shiny, gem-like olivine crystals floating inside the metal.
Two main types include pallasites, and mesosiderites, considered to have formed either right at the edge between an asteroid's metal core and its rocky outer layer, or from violent asteroid collisions.
Now, let's explore some extraordinary meteorites, each with its own unique origin and history.
IRON METEORITES
1. Campo del Cielo
Fall Date: 4,500 years ago
Location: Argentina (on the border of the Chaco and Santiago del Estero provinces)
Impact Size: 3km x 18.5km area, containing at least 26 known impact craters, yielding around 100 tonnes of fragments (one of the largest in the world)
Meteorite Classification: Coarse Octahedrite
Chemical Composition: 92.6% iron (Fe), 6.7% nickel (Ni), with trace amounts of cobalt (Co), phosphorus (P), gallium (Ga) and germanium (Ge)
Scientific Significance: When cut and etched, specimens reveal the stunning Widmanstätten pattern—an intricate, cross-hatched crystal structure that could only form over millions of years of cooling in the vacuum of space
Interesting Facts: The name Campo del Cielo, which translates from Spanish as "Field of the Sky," was given to the area by Spanish conquistadors in 1576 who were directed there by local indigenous people. The massive parent meteoroid, estimated to have weighed over 600 tons before atmospheric entry, fragmented upon impact, creating the widely distributed crater field and meteorite discoveries in history.
View our Campo Del Cielo Meteorite range here.
2. Nantan
Fall Date: 1516, rediscovered in 1958
Location: China (Nantan in Guangxi, China)
Meteorite Classification: IAB‑MG coarse octahedrite
Impact Size: The Nantan meteorite fragmented during atmospheric entry, scattering debris over a strewn field approximately 28 km long and 8 km wide. There is no single, large impact crater, as the object broke apart before a single mass hit the ground
Chemical Composition: 92.3% iron (Fe), 6.96% nickel (Ni), with trace amounts of cobalt (Co), phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S), Carbon (C ), amongst other trace elements
Interesting Facts: The Nantan fall produced an estimated total known weight of about 9,500 kg. A striking fragment of 4.5‑billion‑year‑old metal from the asteroid belt, this Nantan meteorite offers an insight into our solar system’s violent early history. Many pieces recovered show significant terrestrial weathering due to their long exposure on Earth, giving them a unique texture.
View our Nantan Meteorite range here.
3. Mundrabilla
Fall Date: Unobserved fall that has probably lain for many thousands of years. It was found as part of the Mundrabilla strewn field first recognised in 1911
Location: Mundrabilla- Western Australia
Impact Size: Unknown, over 24 tonnes of fragments found
Meteorite Classification: IAB medium octahedrite
Chemical Composition: 65% - 75% iron-nickel, 7-8% nickel and minor cobalt, with significant inclusions of iron sulfide, graphite, carbon, and silicates, along with trace elements
Scientific Significance: Radiometric studies of iron meteorites indicate that materials like Mundrabilla formed about 4.5–4.6 billion years ago, making this piece older than any terrestrial rock and contemporaneous with the birth of the solar system. Mundrabilla represents material from the metallic core region of a long‑destroyed asteroid that once orbited in the main asteroid belt before being redirected toward Earth.
Interesting Facts: Mundrabilla is one of the largest meteorite finds documented on Earth, with a total known weight of about 24 metric tons.
View our Mundrabilla Meteorite range here.
4. Sikhote-Alin
Fall Date: 10:38am on February 12, 1947
Location: Sikhote-Alin Mountains in Siberia
Information On Fall: Comes from a famous daylight fireball, brighter than the Sun, which exploded over Siberia in 1947, showering thousands of iron fragments across the snow-covered forest (one of the largest observed meteorite events in recorded human history).
Impact Size: Covers an elliptical area of about 1.3 km²
Meteorite Classification: iron coarse octahedrite
Chemical Composition: 93% iron, 5.9% nickel, and smaller amounts of phosphorus, sulphur, cobalt, germanium, and iridium
Scientific Significance: Characterised by large, distinct crystal plates (Widmanstätten patterns) visible after cutting and etching, a signature of its slow cooling history. Many Sikhote-Alin meteorite specimens show evidence of atmospheric ablation and impact damage.
View our Sikhote-Alin Meteorite range here.
STONY METEORITES
Stony meteorites are the most abundant type of meteorite, making up about 95% of all known meteorites. They resemble terrestrial rocks but often contain tiny, spherical structures called chondrules, giving them the name chondrites.
1. NWA 869 (North West Africa)
Fall Date: Unobserved fall that has probably lain for many thousands of years. It was found in 2000
Location: Sahara Desert, Northwest Africa
Impact Size: No large impact crater was formed. The fragmentation occurred high enough in the atmosphere that the resulting fragments dispersed over a strewn field, and impacted the ground at lower speeds. The total known recovered weight from the strewn field is possibly up to 2 metric tons, comprising thousands of individual stones.
Meteorite Classification: L3–6 stony chondrite. L-Type indicates that the meteorite has a low iron content compared to other chondrites. The 3–6 range signifies that the meteorite is a fragmented breccia, a type of rock made from fragments of other rocks cemented together. The various numbers represent different degrees of thermal metamorphism (heating) the pieces experienced on their parent asteroid.
Chemical Composition: Breccia (a mix of different materials from its parent asteroid), featuring olivine, pyroxene, iron-nickel metal, troilite, and chondrules.
Scientific Significance: This meteorite offers a window into the building blocks of our solar system. Chondrites are considered "primitive" because they contain chondrules—tiny, spherical grains formed from molten rock droplets in the solar nebula. NWA869 formed about 4.5–4.6 billion years ago, making this piece older than any terrestrial rock and contemporaneous with the birth of the solar system. It was once part of a primitive asteroid that once orbited in the main asteroid belt before being redirected toward Earth.
Interesting Facts: NWA869 is a highly sought after meteorite for collectors and science enthusiasts alike.
View our NWA 869 Meteorite range here.
2. Huckitta
Fall Date: Unobserved. Huckitta has a suggested terrestrial age greater than 18,000 years, found in 1924
Location: Huckitta Station, Northern Territory, Australia
Impact Size: No large impact crater was formed. The Huckitta is a type of pallasite meteorite, not an impact structure on Earth. Therefore, it does not have an "impact age" in the traditional sense of an asteroid collision crater. In total, the known weight of all recovered material (including the main masses and all iron shale) is over 2,300 kg
Meteorite Classification: Huckitta is a stony‑iron meteorite of the pallasite class, meaning it formed at the boundary between the metallic core and rocky mantle of an ancient asteroid.
Chemical Composition: In its fresh state, Huckitta would have contained bright green olivine crystals embedded in a nickel‑iron metal matrix; over long periods in the Central Australian desert, much of that metal has weathered to brown iron oxides while pockets of olivine remain protected inside. This gives Huckitta specimens a dense, rusted exterior with embedded silicate grains, recording both their deep‑space origin and their long exposure to Earth’s harsh surface environment.
Scientific Significance: Huckitta formed deep inside an asteroid where metal and silicate rock meet, making it a classic “boundary layer” sample of planetary interiors, formed by the violent collision of asteroids.
Interesting Facts: Huckitta is a rare and highly sought after meteorite for collectors and science enthusiasts alike for its scientific and historical significance.
View our Huckitta Meteorite range here.
3. Camel Donga
Fall Date: Unknown. Likely thousands of years ago. Camel Donga was discovered in 1984
Location: Nullarbor Plain, Western Australia
Impact Size: The Camel Donga meteorite fall did not create a large, distinct impact crater; instead, the fragments were found within a strewn field approximately 1 square kilometre in area. The original meteoroid likely broke apart in the atmosphere, scattering multiple smaller pieces across the plain. The individual stones, which have a total recovered mass of approximately 30 kg, range in weight up to 504 grams.
Meteorite Classification: Classified as a rare achondrite (eucrite) meaning it lacks chondrules
Chemical Composition: Composed mainly of pyroxene (about 60%) and plagioclase (about 30%) as angular grains in matrix, with minor iron metal (around 2%) and accessory minerals like troilite, ilmenite, and silica. A standout feature is the discovery of pure iron metal. It was created when iron oxides and iron sulfides were stripped of their non-metal parts inside the rock. This tells us the parent asteroid experienced intense heat and chemical reactions in its past.
Scientific Significance: Camel Donga comes from the crust of a once‑molten asteroid, making it a small piece of an ancient “proto‑planet” rather than a typical stony meteorite. Camel Donga is well known for its dark fusion crust and sharp, broken interior, showing how it was shattered and scorched as it fell to Earth.
Interesting Facts: Camel Donga is a basaltic rock, similar to volcanic rocks on Earth. It likely came from a differentiated asteroid or planetary crust.
View our Camel Donga Meteorite range here.
LUNAR & MARTIAN METEORITES
These are among the most sought-after meteorites, as they are fragments ejected from the Moon or Mars by powerful impacts, eventually finding their way to Earth.
1. Lunar Meteorite
Fall Date: Unknown for individual specimens, but specimens are constantly falling.
Location: Primarily found in deserts (like Northwest Africa and Oman) or Antarctica.
Scientific Significance: Lunar Meteorites are identified by comparing their mineralogy, chemistry, and isotopic ratios to lunar samples brought back by Apollo missions. They represent stony achondrites from the Moon’s crust, compositionally similar to Apollo samples. They represent various regions of the Moon, including highlands and maria, ejected from the Lunar surface by impact, later falling to the Earth's surface. Holding a lunar meteorite is holding a piece of Earth's closest celestial neighbour!
View our Lunar Meteorite range here.
TEKTITES & IMPACTITES
These fascinating objects are not meteorites themselves, but are directly linked to meteorite impacts. They are terrestrial rocks that have been melted and flung into the atmosphere by the immense heat and pressure of a large meteorite strike, cooling into unique glassy forms as they fall back to Earth. Think of them as secondary meteorites.
1. Wolf Creek Shale Ball
Fall Date: Unknown. Likely thousands or tens of thousands of years ago. Wolf Creek was discovered in 1947 in a crater field
Location: Wolf Creek, Western Australia
Impact Size: The crater is roughly 875m in diameter and about 60m deep, preserving ejecta and meteoritic debris from a high‑velocity impact
Meteorite Classification: This Wolf Creek meteorite shale ball is a weathered fragment of the IIIAB nickel‑iron meteorite. Over geological time, portions of the original metallic core oxidised and fractured near the surface, producing rounded “shale balls” composed mainly of iron oxides, hydroxides, and remnant metal.
Interesting Facts: While the main Wolf Creek meteorite is an iron meteorite, "shale balls" are often found within the crater. These are typically impactites – rocks that have been melted or altered by the impact event, incorporating material from both the meteorite and the terrestrial geology. While closely related to a major meteorite fall, "shale balls" themselves are not meteorites but rather a consequence of the impact.
View our Wolf Creek range here.
2. Darwin Glass
Fall Date: Originating from a powerful meteorite impact approximately 816,000 years ago
Location: Darwin Crater, Western Tasmania, Australia
Impact Size: The Darwin Crater strewn field is centered around the 1.2 km impact crater in western Tasmania, covering an extensive area of over 400 square kilometres, varying in size from tiny grains to larger, rare chunks, making it the most abundant impact glass on Earth relative to its source
Meteorite Classification: Often referred to as "Australian Moldavite" for its similar formation process and glassy composition, Darwin Glass is a geologically distinct material with its own unique characteristics and scientific significance.
Chemical Composition: Formed when the immense energy of the extra-terrestrial impact melted the local Siluro-Devonian quartzite and slate, Darwin Glass is a natural glass or "impactite." Its chemical makeup is a fascinating blend of the melted terrestrial rock and trace amounts of extra-terrestrial material from the impacting body. The rapid cooling of this molten debris as it was ejected high into the atmosphere created the distinct forms of this rare material. While some pieces are a translucent olive-green, others are a darker, more opaque black, with the darker varieties often containing a higher concentration of the meteorite's own material.
Scientific Significance: Darwin Glass is a crucial subject of study for planetary scientists and geologists, as it offers a physical record of a hypervelocity impact event. Inclusions of ancient organic matter, such as preserved plant material, have been discovered within the glass, providing invaluable insights into the prehistoric environment of Tasmania. This unique property has also made it a subject of research for the theory of panspermia, which speculates on the possibility of life being transported between planets via impact-ejected material.
Interesting Facts: Due to its limited and protected locality, Darwin Glass is a highly sought-after specimen for collectors and researchers alike. It represents a rare link to a cataclysmic cosmic event, offering a window into both the history of our planet and the wider solar system.
View our Darwin Glass range here.
3. Tektites
Fall Date: Varies by strewn field (e.g. the Australasian Tektite Strewn Field is approximately 790,000 years old.
Location: Found across vast regions globally.
Classification: Unlike obsidian, which is volcanic glass, tektites are classified as impact glasses or impactites. Their chemical signature is distinctively different from terrestrial rocks, showing a composition that is an amalgamation of target rock from the impact site and vaporised meteorite material. They are primarily composed of silica (SiO2), with trace amounts of aluminium (Al2O3), iron oxide (FeO), and other elements. The intense heat of the impact, exceeding 2,000°C, melted the rock, creating the unique, streamlined shapes and surface textures characteristic of these specimens.
Chemical Composition: Tektites are a unique form of natural silicate glass, formed from terrestrial debris in the seconds following hypervelocity meteorite impacts. They are ejected from the Earth's crust following a meteorite impact, propelled into the atmosphere before solidifying and falling back to the surface. They are typically black or dark brown, often with sculpted surfaces. They can sometimes be referred to as secondary meteorites.
Scientific Significance: Each stone offers a direct link to a past extra-terrestrial event, a fossilised moment in geological time that provides invaluable data for planetary science and geochronology.
How To Find a Meteorite
Meteorites can fall anywhere on Earth, but some environments are far better for hunting and preservation than others.
Some of the best regions for meteorite detection includes deserts (hot or cold), which offer an ideal environment for detection, allowing darker meteorites to stand out against the lighter coloured sand, whilst the low moisture conditions slow rusting and weathering effects. In addition to desert environments, glacial regions, Antarctica, many Sahara regions and arid Australian landscapes produce large numbers of finds because meteorites remain visible over time in these regions. Using a metal detector to scan for dense metallic meteorites can be helpful. It is important to precisely record the date, time and location of the find, because information of scientific value depends heavily on knowing exactly where a meteorite was found and the conditions it was found in, such as how weathered it is.
Finding a genuine meteorite in the wild is rare, but knowing what to look for can make the hunt much more rewarding. Real meteorites have several key traits that set them apart from ordinary Earth rocks.
1. Surprisingly heavy
If a rock feels unusually dense for its size, you might be onto something. A lot of meteorites contain a mix of iron and nickel, making them significantly heavier than typical terrestrial stones.
2. Magnetic attraction
Meteorites often react strongly to magnets, especially iron meteorites and chondrites. Even if the magnet doesn’t stick firmly, you might notice a slight pull. In cut or polished samples, stony meteorites often reveal shiny metallic specks—tiny grains of extra-terrestrial metal alloy.
3. Fusion crust
As they blaze through Earth’s atmosphere, meteorites experience intense heat that melts their outer surface. When they cool, this creates a thin, dark, glassy coating known as a fusion crust, which can appear smooth and slightly glossy or weathered to a matte brown with age.
4. “Thumbprint” markings
Look for shallow rounded depressions—called regmaglypts—that resemble thumbprints pressed into clay. These form as the meteorite’s surface partially melts and erodes during atmospheric entry, and are particularly common in iron meteorites.
5. Irregular shapes, no bubbles
Meteorites rarely look like water-worn pebbles. They tend to have angular or irregular shapes with no air bubbles, in comparison to volcanic rocks which often contain trapped gas pockets.
6. Internal textures
Inside, chondrites display distinctive round structures called chondrules, formed billions of years ago in the early solar nebula—something not seen in Earth rocks. Achondrites and meteorites from the Moon or Mars may resemble familiar igneous rocks, but laboratory analysis of their minerals and chemistry confirms their extra-terrestrial origin.
Important Note: If you think you've found a meteorite, it's best to have it examined by an expert. Contact your local geological society, university geology department, or museum for help identifying the rock.