Part of Hall of Meteorites.
Exhibition Text
Melting meteorites
The most forceful collisions in the early solar system contained enough energy to melt portions of the planetesimals. The meteorite Chico shows evidence of melting on the lighter-colored half. The meandering boundary of this region indicates that the material was once partially liquid. During melting, the metal in the matrix began to separate from the rocky minerals. The darker portion did not melt and the rock and metal are still completely mixed.
A collision also caused melting in Rose City. Here, metal separated from rock throughout the meteorite.
Collection Information
CHICO
Found January 1954
Colfax County, New Mexico, USA
L6
AMNH 4979
For Educators
Topic: Astronomy
Subtopic: Planets
Keywords: Meteorites, Planets--Origin, Solar System--Origin, Astrogeology, Collisions (Astrophysics)
Audience: General