Stony Meteorite Collection

Wold meteorite landing site
Watercolour showing an obelisk marking the landing site of the Wold Meteorite, Yorkshire, 1812. Image from the Sowerby Collection

The Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite
Murchison fell in September 1969, in Victoria, Australia. It is rich in indigenous (i.e. not terrestrial contaminant) amino acids and other organic molecules

Section of Chassigny meteorite
Thin section of Chassigny in cross-polarized light, showing shocked and deformed olivine grains. The field of view is 3mm

Wold meteorite
Watercolour of the Wold meteorite, Yorkshire by Hariet Topham, 1797. Image from Sowerby Collection

Iron meteorite
This meteorite is the product of atmospheric melting, as are stony achondrites. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Microscope image of the Pasamonte eucrite
Microscopic image of the Pasamonte eucrite showing a basaltic texture. Field of view is 2.5mm across

Wold Cottage meteorite
The earliest surviving meteorite seen to land in the UK fell in Wold Cottage, Yorkshire, in 1795

The Stannern achondrite
A piece of the Stannern achondrite which is thought to have originated on the asteroid Vesta

The Allende carbonaceous chondrite
Photograph of the Allende carbonaceous chondrite, partly covered in jet-black fusion crust. This contains numerous white inclusions called CAIs. This stone is about 10cm across

Launton Meteorite
The Launton meteorite fell on 15 February 1830 at approximately 7.30pm, Launton village in Oxfordshire. The meteorite is of the most common type of stony meteorite, known as an ordinary chondrite

Wold Cottage meteorite (detail)
The earliest surviving meteorite seen to land in the UK fell in Wold Cottage, Yorkshire, in 1795

The Stannern achondrite see 35502
A piece of the Stannern achondrite which is thought to have originated on the asteroid Vesta

The Beardsley H5 ordinary chondrite
Beardsley fell in Kansas, U.S.A in 1929. Its fine-grained texture, with poor chondrule resolution indicate that it has experienced thermal metamorphism

The Abee EH4 enstatite chondrite
Abee fell in Canada in 1953. The cut surface clearly shows the metal-rich and brecciated texture of Abee

Vigarano CV3 chondrite
This carbonaceous chondrite meteorite fell in Italy in 1910. It has clearly delineated chondrules or small granules

Parnallee LL3. 6 ordinary chondrite
Parnallee fell in India in 1857. The cut surface clearly shows well-delineated chondrules and slightly larger clasts

Brownfield (1973) H3. 7 ordinary chondrite
This meteorite fell in Texas in 1937. It has very small chondrules, plus highly-reflective metal and sulphide grains can easily be picked out

Cold Bokkeveld meteorite photomicrograph
Thin section of the carbonaceous chondrite in the petrological microscope, showing a near circular chondrule about 1mm in diameter. The fall was in Cape Province in 1838

Stone meteorite
This meteorite is unmelted and is therefore known as a chondrite. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Mayo Belwa, African meteorite
This meteorite formed in a similar way to some igneous rocks in the Earth, and not by condensation of dust from nebular gas. Image from From Behind The Scenes (1987) by Dr Lawrence Mound

Microscope image of the Johnstown diogenite. Diogenites are coarse grained and composed primarily of one mineral, pyroxene. Field of view is 2.5mm across

Microscope image of chondrite showing chondrules, typical of primitive meteorites. Horizontal field of view, 3.3mm

Microscope image of the Brachina meteorite, the type specimen of the Brachinite meteorites. Brachinites are composed mostly of olivine with minor amounts of pyroxene and plagioclase

Microscope image of the Lodran meteorite. This meteorite is the type specimen of the Lodranite meteorites. The lodranites are related to the acaplucoites but are more course-grained

The Sioux County eucrite
Photograph of the Sioux County eucrite, which is thought to have originated on the asteroid 4 Vesta. The sample weighs 153g

The Bustee aubrite
Photograph of the Bustee aubrite, a light-coloured meteorite containing brown oldhamite crystals

Optical microscope image of the Barwell (Type 6) chondrite

Optical microscope image of the Parnallee (Type 3) chondrite
An optical microscope image of the Parnallee (Type 3) chondrite that has experienced little heating. The chondrules are clear and well-defined. The field of view is 5mm

The Beddgelert (H5) ordinary chondrite
Photograph of the Beddgelert (H5) ordinary chondrite, clearly showing flecks of iron-nickel metal

The Parnalle ordinary chondrite
The Parnallee ordinary chondrite, part of the Parnallee meteorite that fell in India in 1857

The Barwell meteorite, showing a rock frgament formed by melting of a pre-existing planetary body; this indicates that plantesimals were present when chondrules formed

Textures of different chondrule types in the Etihudna (L4) ordinary chondrite (field of view 4mm)

Porphyritic olivine and pyroxene chondrule
Microscopic image of a porphyritic olivine and pyroxene chondrule from the Palmyra (L3) ordinary chondrite (the chondrule is about 1.8mm across)

Radial pyroxene chondrule
Microscope image of a radial pyroxene chondrule from the ALH 88036 (H3.4) ordinary chondrite. The chondrule is about 2mm across

Ivuna meteorite
The Ivuna carbonaceous chondrite. This type of meteorite is the richest in volatile elements

Partially fusion-crusted stone
A 294g (10oz) partially fusion crusted stone from the Camel Donga eucrite strewn field. The orange/brown staining on the black, fusion crusted surface is staining from the local soil

Siena meteorite stone
One of the stones of the Siena meteorite shower, which fell over Siena, Italy in 1794

Chergach meteorite

Meteoric Stone, Wold Cottage
One of a series of 5 postcards featuring British meteorites produced and sold by the museum in the 1920s

British Meteorites, leaflet
Leaflet printed to accompany a set of 5 postcards published by the Natural History Museum in 1922

Carbonate
The formation of carbonate on the Allan Hills martian meteorite ALH84001

Glatton meteorite
Mr Arthur Pettifor holding the Glatton meteorite which fell in Cambridgeshire on 5th May 1991

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