• Type: Iron / IIIAB
• Location: Antofagasta, Chile
• Weight: 6g
• Size: 17 x 16 x 2 mm
• Year of discovery: 2000
• Known total weight: 13.88 kg
• Surface treatment: cut, polished slice
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Domeyko – one of the most beautiful iron meteorites in the world. The Domeyko meteorite is a IIIAB iron meteorite, discovered in 2000 in northern Chile, specifically in the Atacama Desert near the famous Imilac pallasite fall. It was discovered by French collector and meteorite expert Luc Labenne during an expedition to an area rich in ancient meteorites. The site is located over 3000 meters above sea level in the Domeyko region, near the city of Antofagasta, from which the meteorite takes its name. Classification and composition Domeyko is classified as a fine octahedrite belonging to the IIIAB group. These meteorites are characterized by the presence of nickel-iron in the form of the metallic phases Kamacite and Taenite, which, during extremely slow cooling in space, arrange themselves into a regular structure known as Widmanstätten patterns. These structures, visible after acid etching of a polished section, represent one of the main identifying elements of many iron meteorites. A particularly interesting element in sections of the Domeyko meteorite are the so-called Brezina lamellae, very thin elongated inclusions rich in iron phosphide called Schreibersite. These lamellae form during the extremely slow cooling of the metallic material within the planetesimal body from which the meteorite originates. They are named after the Austrian mineralogist Arthur Brezina, who contributed significantly to meteorite research in the 19th century. Their presence indicates that Domeyko originated from a differentiated metallic core of a planetary body and underwent an extremely slow cooling process, on the order of a few degrees per million years. Appearance and preservation The original meteorite piece weighed approximately 13.88 kg and measured approximately 27 × 19 × 10 cm. Its surface is typical of meteorites found in the arid environment of Atacama, with surface cavities formed by corrosion and erosion in desert conditions. The bottom part was rather smooth, while the top was covered with numerous small depressions and protrusions. The Domeyko meteorite is often considered one of the most aesthetically spectacular iron meteorites ever found, not only for its refined structural pattern, but also thanks to the presence of Brezina lamellae.