Flying glass

Part of Hall of Meteorites.

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Tektites are pieces of glass made when rock on Earth's surface is melted by the intense heat and pressure of a large meteorite impact.

The impact blasts the molten rock high into the air, and before it solidifies the air pressure warps and twists it into a bizarre variety of shapes. Dumbbells form when the rapid spinning of an elongated oval blob pulls the two ends apart. Teardrop shapes are simply halves of broken dumbbells. Small button-shaped tektites form when air friction pushes small, thin waves of the molten droplet backward to form a round overhanging skirt.

In This Section

Exhibit Australasian Tektites   Exhibit Libyan Desert Glass Libyan desert glass exhibit, found in Libyan Desert, Egypt Exhibit Moldavite