4.5 billion year old meteorites rock the Perth Concert Hall News | Created 5 Jun 2014 Ancient meteorites that were formed during the birth of our Solar System 4.56 billion years ago will go on display at the Perth Concert Hall this weekend. The meteorites are part of the Western Australian Museum’s Collection and are being displayed to complement the Western Australian Youth Orchestra’s season opening performance of Gustav Holst’s seminal work ‘The Planets’ this Sunday 8 June at 3pm. WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said today the Museum was very pleased to have been asked to contribute to the event and to display part of its very significant collection in this way. “The WA Museum’s meteorite collection is recognised internationally as one of the most significant in the southern hemisphere,” Mr Coles said. “With meteorites, what you are actually looking at is debris left over from when the planets were formed. They really are like messengers across space and time that carry a unique record of the birth of our Solar System and we are delighted that Youth Orchestra audiences will see them.” Four meteorites discovered in Western Australia will be featured in this weekend’s display: the Wiluna stony meteorite that fell to Earth in 1967; the Camel Donga stony meteorite discovered in 1984; and two iron meteorites, including a cut and polished slice that reveals part of the metallic core of a small asteroid formed at the very start of the Solar System. “The Museum’s Earth and Planetary Sciences department is part of an international team conducting research into these and other finds to gain a better understanding of the origin of our Earth and the other planets in our Solar System,” Mr Coles said. “If a performance of Holst’s Planets Suite is not a reason to display arrivals from outer space, then I don’t know what is! This is another example of the Museum collaborating positively with the performing arts.” The meteorites will be on display over the weekend, while there are concert performances occurring. Jane Rosevear Media and Publicity Officer Western Australian Museum (08) 6552 7805 jane.rosevear@museum.wa.gov.au