This is a large Monturaqui Impactite specimen weighing 17.24 grams. It measures 41x23x19 mm. Although not a meteorite, impactites are directly linked to them and their impacts.
Some of the recovered pieces of this impactite show tiny bits of the original iron meteorite. There is very little of the original meteorite left at this impact site, but sometimes when these Impactites are sliced you can find small fragments of metal in them. This specimen was collected by Michael Cottingham during an excursion to the Impactite Site.
The Monturaqui Crater is located in a very remote part of North Chile's Atacama Desert. This crater measures about 370 meters in diameter. Less than 4 kilos of Iron Shale fragments and about 50kg of Impactites have been found so far. This crater was made over 100,000 years ago. The only evidence remaining of the original meteorite is seen in the shale and impactite.
Impactite is a slag-like glassy object found on the surface of the earth, formed from rock melted by the impact of a meteorite. The term encompasses shock-metamorphosed target rocks, melts or suevites and mixtures of the two, as well as sedimentary rocks with significant impact-derived components and shocked mineral grains, tektites, anomalous geochemical signatures, etc.
This piece displays extremely well. It is amazingly light considering its mass. It has a unique hollow sound when you tap it. This Chilean find is very well shaped and preserved. These impactites are becoming more difficult to acquire so this is a good time to get a fine specimen. Would be a beautiful addition to any new or existing collection.
This specimen originates from the Michael Cottingham Meteorite Collection and is guaranteed to be authentic. The specimen will come with a Michael Cottingham and a Canagem specimen card.
