• Tipo: ferro / IAB-sLL
• Località: Messico
• Peso: 4,9g
• Dimensioni: 24 x 18 x 1 mm
• Anno di ritrovamento: 1776
• Peso totale conosciuto: 3 tonnes
• Trattamento superficiale: cut, Lucidato fetta; Trattata con olio
• DESCRIZIONE DETTAGLIATA

Toluca Meteorite – iron octahedrite da Messico Toluca is an meteorite ferroso that belongs to the group of octahedrites, specifically to the chemical group IAB, and falls into the sLL subgroup (subgroup Low-Au, Low-Ni), which means it contains lower amounts of Oro and nickel compared to Altro IAB meteorites. Nevertheless, it retains a sufficiently high content of iron and Altro metals to give it a distinct metallic Argento color. When Attaccato con acido and Lucidato, it reveals so-called pattern di Widmanstätten, which are typical crystalline structures that form during the very slow cooling of metal in space. Due to its high iron content, it is very heavy, so even a relatively small frammento can have a surprisingly large mass. In addition to iron and nickel, it also contains smaller amounts of Altro minerals such as graphite or troilite, which sometimes form small inclusions in the material. Discovery and historical use The meteorite was found in the Toluca Valley in central Messico, da which it also takes its name. The local inhabitants were aware of the iron pezzi long before the arrival of Europeans and used them, for example, for tool making. The first European reference to the meteorite dates da 1776. Smaller fragments can still be found in the area, as the original body shattered into many pezzi during its atmospheric entry. Origin and age Like most meteorite ferrosos, Toluca probably originates da the period of solar system formation, approximately 4.5 billion years ago. At that time, a number of smaller proto-planetary bodies, known as planetesimals, moved through interplanetary space, which ultimately did not become full-fledged planets. These bodies often had metallic cores, which formed by the separation of denser elements—mainly iron and nickel—into the central region.