{"product_id":"meteorite-muonionalusta-sphere-18cm-norrbotten-sweden-memo88","title":"Meteorite Muonionalusta sphere 1.8cm – Norrbotten, Sweden - MEMO88","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerfect meteorite sphere.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt has beautiful Widmanstätten patterns all over the surface.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eType: iron meteorite, IVA octahedrite\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocation: Norrbotten, Sweden\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 23.8 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 1.8 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYear of discovery: 1906\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKnown total weight: 230 kg\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDETAILED DESCRIPTION\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuonionalusta Meteorite – One of the Oldest Known Meteorite Falls on Earth\nThe Muonionalusta meteorite is estimated to have fallen to Earth around one million BC, making it one of the oldest known meteorite falls. It originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and its age is estimated at over 4.5 billion years. This belt contains many asteroids and meteorites that sometimes break off and travel through space until they eventually impact Earth. Muonionalusta is a fragment of one of these asteroids that survived entry into the atmosphere and struck the Earth's surface.\nDiscovery and classification\nThe first fragment of this meteorite was discovered in 1906, with others found throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, some weighing several hundred kilograms. It is classified as a fine octahedrite of type IVA and is particularly noted for its remarkable Widmanstätten patterns, which are irregular crystalline structures of iron-nickel. These patterns are formed by the slow cooling of the metal in space. Not all iron meteorites display these patterns. To reveal them, the surface must be polished and etched with dilute nitric acid, preferably mixed with methanol.\nComposition\nMuonionalusta is composed of approximately 91% iron, 8.4% nickel, small amounts of rare elements such as gallium, germanium, and iridium, and various minerals.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PeltramMinerals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58027887886661,"sku":"MEMO88","price":282.02,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0881\/1659\/2965\/files\/60116_photoroom-005-20251010-111940.jpg?v=1779378127","url":"https:\/\/moldavite.it\/en\/products\/meteorite-muonionalusta-sphere-18cm-norrbotten-sweden-memo88","provider":"Moldavite.it","version":"1.0","type":"link"}