Meteorite Specimen | Aletai | MSA1

This specimen shows the Widmanstätten pattern, also known as Thomson structures, which are figures of long nickel–iron crystals, found in the octahedrite iron meteorites and some pallasites. They consist of a fine interleaving of kamacite and taenite bands or ribbons called lamellae. Commonly, in gaps between the lamellae, a fine-grained mixture of kamacite and taenite called plessite can be found.

 

Alatai meteorites were discovered in China as early as 1898 with portions still being recovered until 2015.  It is considered the longest strewn field of meteorite fragments.

All locations in the Alatai meteorite group are considered part of a single atmosphere entry discovered over many years.

History: A large iron was found by a local farmer in a valley in a mountainous area of Aletai County. It was surrounded by rocks and half buried. A small specimen was taken for analysis. Heavy machinery was used to move the meteorite from the valley to the discoverer’s home. Physical characteristics: The kamacite bandwidth is 0.89±0.41 mm. 

Petrography: The major phases of the meteorite are kamacite, taenite, and plessite. Minor phases include schreibersite, daubréelite, troilite, and haxonite.

Aletai is an anomalous IIIE. It has the highest Gold concentration in the group, and its Iridium concentration is much higher than that inferred through the trend of the other group members.” - per the Meteoritic Bulletin

This is a stone not of this world and many ancient cultures used the metal for sacred tools used by priests.