Midheaven Gifts
Sikhote-Alin Meteorite Display
Sikhote-Alin Meteorite Display
Sikhote-Alin Meteorite is a cosmic gift, carrying the wisdom of the stars. It's like holding a piece of the universe, reminding you of the vastness of existence and your connection to the celestial.
Sikhote-Alin Meteorite
The Sikhote-Alin Meteorite is a fascinating and historic meteorite that fell in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in eastern Russia on February 12, 1947. Here's a of this remarkable meteorite:
Physical Properties: The Sikhote-Alin Meteorite is an iron meteorite, specifically classified as a coarse octahedrite. It's composed mainly of iron and nickel, with trace elements, and exhibits the Widmanstätten pattern when etched, a unique crystalline structure that forms as a result of slow cooling over millions of years in space. This pattern is highly sought after by collectors.
Appearance: Sikhote-Alin Meteorites are known for their distinctive appearance. They are often described as shrapnel-like due to their jagged, sculpted shapes. The meteorite fragments are typically covered in regmaglypts (thumbprint-like indentations) caused by ablation as they entered Earth's atmosphere.
Size: Sikhote-Alin Meteorites come in various sizes, ranging from small pea-sized fragments to larger pieces weighing several kilograms. The largest fragment recovered from the Sikhote-Alin fall weighed approximately 1.77 tons.
Impact Event: The fall of the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite is one of the most well-documented meteorite events in history. Witnesses reported a massive fireball streaking across the sky, followed by a series of loud explosions as the meteor fragmented and detonated in the atmosphere. Fragments rained down over a wide area, creating craters and leaving scars on the landscape.
Collectibility: Sikhote-Alin Meteorites are highly collectible and sought after by meteorite enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. Their dramatic appearance, historical significance, and the fact that they are relatively abundant compared to other meteorites make them popular among collectors.
Scientific Value: Aside from their collectibility, Sikhote-Alin Meteorites also hold scientific importance. They provide valuable insights into the composition and structure of meteorites and the early solar system. Scientists study meteorites like Sikhote-Alin to learn more about the materials that formed our solar system.