Pallasites account for around 1% of meteorites that reach Earth and are comprised of of olivine crystals in a nickel-iron matrix. They are believed to originate from the boundary between the iron core and rocky mantle of large asteroids that were disrupted by collision early in the history of the Solar System. Cut and polished slices are among the most attractive of all meteoric material. The Brenham meteorite in Kansas was discovered in 1882 having fallen in prehistoric times. It is one of the largest of all known pallasite falls and material massing several tons has been recovered.
© Christopher Seddon 2008
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