2.9" Polished Tulia (a) Meteorite Slice (78g) - Texas

This is a 2.9" wide (78.0 gram) stony (chondrite) meteorite slice from the Tulia (a) meteorite that was found in 1917 in Swisher County, Texas. It's from the first section of the Tulia meteor that was originally classified as an H5 ordinary chondrite, however since then has been reclassified as H3-4. The total mass of the meteorite is believed to have been around 86 kilograms. This piece has been cut flat and polished on both sides revealing the reflective, inner metallic inclusions.

Comes with a riker display case.

About Chondrites

A chondrite is a stony (non-metallic) meteorite that has not been modified by either melting or differentiation of the parent body. Chondrites are formed when various types of dust and small grains in the early Solar System accreted to form primitive asteroids. Some such bodies are captured in the planet’s gravity well and pulled to the surface. They are by far the most common type of meteorite, representing about 86 percent of all meteorites that have fallen to Earth.

Prominent among the components present in chondrites are the enigmatic chondrules, millimeter-sized spherical objects that originated as freely floating, molten or partially molten droplets in space; most chondrules are rich in the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. Chondrites also contain particles of various metals such as nickel, iron, and aluminum. These formed at the very beginning of the solar system and aggregated over time: they are the oldest rocks known on Earth!

Chondrites are divided into about fifteen distinct groups on the basis of their mineralogy, bulk chemical composition, and oxygen isotope compositions. The various chondrite groups likely originated on separate asteroids or groups of related asteroids. Each chondrite group has a distinctive mixture of chondrules, refractory inclusions, matrix (dust), characteristic chondrule sizes, and other components. Other ways of classifying chondrites include weathering and shock. The L chondrite group is the most common of these.
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DETAILS
TYPE
Ordinary Chondrite (H3-4)
LOCATION
Swisher County, Texas
SIZE
2.9 x 2.8", .2" thick, 78.0 grams
CATEGORY
ITEM
#243007