Hands on Meteorites
Channel: Dominik Hezel
Date: 2023-04-12

When we hold a meteorite in our hands, we are holding something that is older than Earth. Meteorites are characterise by their fusion crust, which they develop during the passage through the Earth’s atmosphere. When we find meteorites in the field or on rock shows, it becomes clear why their popular classification is into stone, stone-iron and iron meteorite: this reflects their overall appearance. Iron-meteorites are quite heavy, resulting from their high density of almost 8 g/cm3. Quite contrary, chondrites – having densities of maybe 2.5 g/cm3 – can be lighter than average terrestrial rocks, with densities of typically somewhat higher than 3 g/cm3.