• Type: Iron, IAB
• Location: Guangxi Province, China
• Weight: 2.8g
• Dimensions: 1.3 x 1 x 0.7 cm
• Year of discovery: 1958
• Known total weight: 9.5 tonnes
• Surface treatment: none - Raw
• Packaging: Plastic box (5.8 x 3.8 x 1.6 cm)
• DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Nantan meteorite – China's historical iron meteorite The Nantan meteorite is an important iron meteorite, whose fall was probably recorded in the year 1516 in the Chinese province of Guangxi. Despite this historical sighting, it remained unnoticed for a long time and was officially discovered only in 1958. It belongs to the group of IAB type iron meteorites, which means it contains a high amount of iron, nickel, and other trace elements. Due to the high iron content, Nantan meteorites are susceptible to corrosion, a characteristic that makes their long-term preservation difficult. History and discovery Although it fell in the 16th century, the meteorite was not collected until the 20th century. The reasons were related to local superstitions and technical limitations: local inhabitants considered meteorites sacred objects and often left them intact. Size and distribution of fragments During the fall, the meteorite fragmented into thousands of pieces scattered over an area approximately 28 kilometers long. The size of individual fragments varied from tiny particles of 10 grams up to enormous blocks weighing about 2,000 kilograms. The total mass of recovered fragments is estimated to be around 9.5 tons.