Photomicrograph of a thin section of a typical ordinary chondrite

Collection Highlights | Updated 4 days ago

This image shows the internal texture of the Mundrabilla 003 meteorite, an ordinary chondrite (group H3) that was found in 1972 in the Mundrabilla area of the Nullarbor by John Carlisle.

Chondrites (pronounced kon-drites) are the most common meteorites and are so called because they contain small beads of once molten silicate called chondrules (Greek: chondros = grain). The chondrules shown here are made up of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene and include some with barred textures. The origin of these curious grains, which can make up more than 50% of the meteorite, is disputed. However, they were among the first solid materials to form during the fiery birth of the Solar System 4,560 million years ago, and many chondrites have remained largely unchanged

Meteorite Collection