hexahedrite
Quick Summary
A hexahedrite is a type of iron meteorite composed almost entirely of the mineral kamacite. Unlike other iron meteorites, hexahedrites lack the characteristic Widmanstätten pattern, which is a crystalline structure revealed by etching. This pattern is formed by the interlocking crystals of kamacite and taenite, two nickel-iron minerals.
Iron meteorites, in general, are thought to originate from the cores of asteroids that underwent melting and differentiation. They constitute about 5 percent of observed meteorite falls but are more easily identified and last longer than stony meteorites. Hexahedrites represent one extreme of iron meteorite classification, with ataxites (composed mainly of taenite) at the other, and octahedrites (containing both minerals and exhibiting the Widmanstätten pattern) in between.12
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iron meteorite…groups grading into one another: hexahedrites, octahedrites, and ataxites. Hexahedrites are usually made up entirely of kamacite and lack the Widmanstätten pattern. Octahedrites contain both kamacite and taenite and constitute the largest group of iron finds. Most ataxites, which are the rarest group, are pure taenite; some ataxite specimens contain…
Read More…groups grading into one another: hexahedrites, octahedrites, and ataxites. Hexahedrites are usually made up entirely of kamacite and lack the Widmanstätten pattern. Octahedrites contain both kamacite and taenite and constitute the largest group of iron finds. Most ataxites, which are the rarest group, are pure taenite; some ataxite specimens contain…
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meteoriteIron meteorites…is the class known as hexahedrites, which are composed almost entirely of kamacite. Being nearly of a single mineral, hexahedrites are essentially structureless except for shock features. At the other extreme is the class known as ataxites, which are made up primarily of taenite. Ataxites are the rarest class and…
Read More…is the class known as hexahedrites, which are composed almost entirely of kamacite. Being nearly of a single mineral, hexahedrites are essentially structureless except for shock features. At the other extreme is the class known as ataxites, which are made up primarily of taenite. Ataxites are the rarest class and…
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