Meteorites History, mineralogy, and metallurgy

Author: Habashi Fathi  

Publisher: Maney Publishing

ISSN: 1743-2790

Source: Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Vol.23, Iss.1, 1998-03, pp. : 71-81

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Abstract

It took many centuries before it was established that stones and pieces of metal, sometimes a few tons in weight, do fall from the sky. These are now known as meteorites. Metallic meteorites are composed of iron and nickel and show a characteristic crystal structure called Widmanstätten after its discoverer. Some meteorites evaporate during impact and leave a crater of a characteristic shape on the surface of the earth.