Octahedrite
Nickel and Iron, Ni and Fe

This medium octahedrite was found in the Nullabor Plain of Western Australia in 1966. It is the most easily recognized type of meteroite, an "iron". Okay, I know, it's not a terrestrial mineral... but it is a rather exotic rock and I just couldn't resist including this handsomely sculpted specimen.

The other two major classifications are "stony irons" and "stone" meterorites. The stones are futher classified as either chondrites or achondrites. The presence of the nickel-iron alloys kamacite and taenite is the most outstanding difference between meteorites and terrestrial rocks, in which they occur only very rarely.

Rocks from Bob's Collection

Index of Specimen Images

Table of Contents

bkeller@rockhounds.com 7/2/95