• Perfect meteorite sphere with a diameter of 2 cm.
• It has beautiful Widmanstätten patterns all over its surface.
• Type: iron meteorite, octahedrite IVA
• Location: Norrbotten, Sweden
• Weight: 31-34g
• Size: 2 cm
• Year of discovery: 1906
• Total known weight: 230 kg
• Please Note: The photo is for illustrative purposes only, all marbles look almost identical including the very similar distinctive pattern.
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Muonionalusta Meteorite – One of the oldest known meteorite falls on Earth The Muonionalusta meteorite is estimated to have fallen to Earth around one million BC, making it one of the oldest known meteorite falls. It originates from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and its age is estimated to be over 4.5 billion years. This belt contains many asteroids and meteorites that sometimes break away and travel through space until they eventually impact Earth. Muonionalusta is a fragment of one of these asteroids that survived atmospheric entry and struck the Earth's surface. Discovery and classification The 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 known for its remarkable Widmanstätten patterns, which are irregular iron-nickel crystalline structures. These patterns form through 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. Composition Muonionalusta is composed of approximately 91% iron, 8.4% nickel, small amounts of rare elements such as gallium, germanium, and iridium, and various minerals.