• Type: Iron / Octahedrite IAB-MG
• Location: Campo del Cielo, Argentina
• Weight: 14.8 g
• Dimensions: 29 x 13 x 12 mm
• Year of discovery: 1576
• Known total weight: 50 tonnes
• Surface treatment: none – Raw
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Campo del Cielo – a famous iron meteorite Campo del Cielo is one of the most famous iron meteorites, which fell in the Campo del Cielo region of Argentina approximately 4–5 thousand years ago, leaving about 26 craters. This meteorite belongs to the IAB-MG group and is mainly composed of iron and nickel, with traces of cobalt, phosphorus, and germanium. Approximately 100 tons of material have been found so far. The largest specimens, weighing 30.8 and 28.8 tons, are among the largest and heaviest single meteorite fragments ever to fall to Earth. Origin The Campo del Cielo meteorite likely originated from the asteroid belt, a region of the solar system located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, where many asteroids and planetesimals are found. The asteroid belt formed from material that, due to Jupiter's gravitational influence, could not coalesce into a proper planet. Collisions between objects may have caused larger bodies to fragment, releasing pieces that eventually made their way to Earth. Campo del Cielo is believed to be one such fragment. History and discovery The Campo del Cielo meteorite struck Earth approximately 4,000–5,000 years ago, creating a network of craters distributed over about 3,000 km². Local indigenous populations discovered iron fragments long before the arrival of Europeans and used them to craft tools and weapons. In 1576, Spanish conquistadors learned of these "mountains of iron" and initiated the first official search. However, systematic scientific study only began in the 20th century. Over 100 tons have been found, making Campo del Cielo one of the heaviest meteorite discoveries on Earth. Composition and structure Campo del Cielo is primarily composed of iron (about 92%) and nickel (about 6.7%), with small traces of other metals such as cobalt and phosphorus. It also exhibits characteristic crystalline structures called Widmanstätten patterns, visible when the surface is etched with acid. These patterns result from the slow cooling of the iron-nickel alloy in space and are a distinctive feature of iron meteorites.