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What materials make up pallasite meteorites?
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Meteorite
The Hoba meteorite, lying where it was discovered in 1920 near Grootfontein, Namibia. The largest meteorite on Earth and an iron meteorite by classification, it consists of a nickel-iron alloy and is estimated to weigh about 60 tons.
Pallasites are a type of stony iron meteorite composed primarily of two distinct materials:
- Nickel-iron metal: This forms a coherent, interconnected network or matrix throughout the meteorite.12
- Olivine: This silicate mineral is embedded within the metal in the form of crystals, which are typically about 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) across.23
These meteorites are believed to have formed at the interface between the molten nickel-iron core and the surrounding silicate mantle of a differentiated asteroid. Within the metal regions of pallasites, one can often observe the Widmanstätten structure, a characteristic pattern formed by the intergrowth of nickel-iron alloys.12