octahedrite
Quick Summary
An octahedrite is a type of iron meteorite that contains both kamacite and taenite minerals. When a polished cross-section of an octahedrite is etched with dilute acid, these minerals form an interlocking pattern known as the Widmanst\u00e4tten pattern. This pattern indicates that octahedrites formed under relatively low pressure, likely within the cores of asteroids. Iron meteorites, including octahedrites, make up about 5% of all observed meteorite falls but are more durable and easier to identify than stony meteorites.123
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iron meteorite…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 up…
Read More…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 up…
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meteoriteIron meteorites…these two classes are the octahedrites. In those meteorites, kamacite crystals form as interlocking plates in an octahedral arrangement, with taenite filling the interstices. This interlocking arrangement, called the Widmanstätten pattern, is revealed when a cut and polished surface of the meteorite is etched with dilute acid. The pattern is…
Read More…these two classes are the octahedrites. In those meteorites, kamacite crystals form as interlocking plates in an octahedral arrangement, with taenite filling the interstices. This interlocking arrangement, called the Widmanstätten pattern, is revealed when a cut and polished surface of the meteorite is etched with dilute acid. The pattern is…
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