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Top 11 Famous Meteorites
Meteorites have fascinated humanity for centuries, not only for their otherworldly origins but also for the stories they tell about the early solar system and the origins of planets. Here, we look atsome of the most famous meteorites that have left an indelible mark on science, history, and popular culture.
The Hoba meteorite is the largest known meteorite on Earth, weighing an astonishing 66 tons. It was discovered in 1920 on a farm near Grootfontein, Namibia, but it likely fell to Earth around 80,000 years ago. Composed primarily of iron and nickel, Hoba measures about 2.7 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and nearly 1 meter thick, giving it the appearance of a massive, metallic block.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hoba meteorite is that it didn’t create a crater upon impact, despite its immense weight and size. Scientists believe this unusual phenomenon occurred because Hoba entered Earth's atmosphere at a very shallow angle, slowing its descent and causing it to land more gently. Over time, it became partially buried in the ground, where it was eventually discovered by a farmer.
Hoba is also famous for its accessibility—it has remained in its original location since its discovery, now protected as a national monument by the Namibian government. Its sheer size, combined with its remarkable preservation and accessibility, makes Hoba a valuable scientific specimen and a popular tourist attraction.
Weighing an incredible 66 tons, the Hoba meteorite is the largest known meteorite on Earth.
The Sylacauga meteorite, also known as the "Hodges Meteorite," is famous for being the first recorded instance of a meteorite striking a human. On November 30, 1954, a grapefruit-sized fragment of this meteorite fell through the roof of Ann Hodges' home in Sylacauga, Alabama, USA. The meteorite crashed through the ceiling, bounced off a radio, and struck Hodges as she lay on her couch, causing a large bruise on her side. This extraordinary event brought significant media attention, making the Sylacauga meteorite one of the most well-known meteorite falls in modern history.
The meteorite itself is a chondrite, a stony meteorite type rich in silicate minerals. The Sylacauga meteorite's dramatic impact on a person highlighted the rare, yet possible, risks of meteorite falls to human life and property. Following the incident, a legal dispute arose over ownership between Ann Hodges and her landlord, drawing even more attention to the event. Eventually, Hodges retained the meteorite and later donated it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, where it is still displayed.
The Sylacauga (Hodges) meteorite on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History
The Fukang meteorite is renowned for its stunning beauty, often described as a “gem from space” Discovered in China’s Gobi Desert in 2000, the Fukang meteorite is a rare type called a pallasite, a unique stony-iron meteorite containing exceptionally large, transparent olivine crystals (a mineral also found on Earth) embedded within a metallic iron-nickel matrix. When sliced and polished, the meteorite reveals a breathtaking pattern, with honey-colored olivine crystals creating a mosaic-like appearance against a shimmering metallic background.
This striking structure makes Fukang one of the most visually captivating meteorites ever discovered. Pallasites like Fukang are rare, making up around 0.1% of all known meteorites, and are believed to originate from the boundary between the core and mantle of a large asteroid or possibly a planetesimal. Fukang is one of the largest pallasites ever found, weighing over a thousand kilograms before it was divided into smaller pieces. It also contains some of the larger olivine crystals of all of the pallasites.
The Fukang meteorite cut to display its massive, gemmy olivine crystals.
The Willamette Meteorite is one of the most famous meteorites in the United States, celebrated for both its scientific importance and cultural significance. Discovered in 1902 near present-day West Linn, Oregon, this massive iron meteorite weighs approximately 15.5 tons, making it the largest meteorite ever found in the United States and the sixth-largest in the world. Composed primarily of iron and nickel, the meteorite has a smooth, weathered surface with large, deep cavities created by millennia of exposure to terrestrial weathering.
What truly sets the Willamette Meteorite apart is its cultural and spiritual importance. The Clackamas people, an indigenous tribe of the Pacific Northwest, discovered the meteorite centuries before European settlers arrived and regarded it as a sacred object. They called it "Tomanowos" and believed it had been placed on Earth by a powerful spirit. For generations, the Clackamas performed ceremonies around the meteorite, viewing it as a bridge between heaven and Earth.
Today, the Willamette Meteorite is housed in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where it is on display as a national treasure. Despite being relocated, it remains a powerful symbol for the Clackamas people, who continue to perform annual ceremonies around it in honor of their cultural heritage. The meteorite’s remarkable size, historical significance, and sacred status make it one of the most famous and revered meteorites in the world.
The Willamette Meteorite on Display: Two young boys sit on the largest meteorite found in the United States.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite became globally famous in 2013 after a meteoroid exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in a dramatic, once-in-a-century event. This meteoroid, about 20 meters wide and weighing an estimated 13,000 metric tons, entered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of approximately 60,000 km/h. Upon entering the atmosphere, it exploded at an altitude of around 30 kilometers, releasing an energy equivalent to about 470–500 kilotons of TNT. This explosion produced a blinding flash of light, followed by a powerful shockwave that shattered windows, damaged buildings, and injured over 1,500 people, primarily from flying glass.
What makes the Chelyabinsk meteorite so famous is not only its size but also the unprecedented amount of footage capturing the event. The explosion was recorded by thousands of dashcams, smartphones, and security cameras, providing scientists with detailed data on its trajectory, speed, and fragmentation process. This footage allowed researchers to accurately model the event and analyze the dynamics of a meteoroid’s entry and explosion in Earth's atmosphere.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite underscored the potential dangers posed by near-Earth objects and sparked renewed global interest in asteroid impact preparedness. The event demonstrated that even relatively small meteoroids could cause significant damage and injuries, highlighting the need for better monitoring systems to detect and track such objects. Fragments of the meteorite, which fell across a wide area, are now prized by collectors and studied by scientists for insights into their composition and structure. Chelyabinsk remains a symbol of Earth's vulnerability to cosmic impacts and a reminder of the importance of planetary defense initiatives.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite streaks across the sky in Russia.
The Allende meteorite, which fell over the Mexican state of Chihuahua in February 1969, is one of the most scientifically significant meteorites ever discovered. Upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, the meteorite exploded, scattering thousands of fragments across a wide area. Allende is a carbonaceous chondrite, a type of stony meteorite rich in carbon-based compounds and organic material. What makes the Allende meteorite particularly famous is its age and composition: it contains some of the oldest material in the solar system, estimated to be around 4.6 billion years old, dating back to the formation of the Sun and planets.
The meteorite's fragments contain calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), which are among the first solid materials to condense from the solar nebula. These CAIs are invaluable to scientists because they serve as a "time capsule," preserving information about the early solar system’s conditions before the planets formed. Additionally, Allende contains pre-solar grains—tiny particles that predate the formation of our solar system, originating from older stars that existed before the Sun.
Since its fall, Allende has been extensively studied and remains one of the most analyzed meteorites in history. Its rich organic compounds, ancient mineral inclusions, and rare pre-solar grains have contributed profoundly to our understanding of solar system formation and the processes that shaped early planetary bodies. Scientists continue to study Allende's fragments, making it a cornerstone of meteoritic research and a symbol of our cosmic origins.
A slice of the Allende meteorite showing its unique internal structure.
The Cape York meteorite is famous for its massive size, historical significance, and cultural impact. Discovered in Greenland, this iron meteorite is one of the largest ever found, with its heaviest fragment, known as "Ahnighito," weighing about 34 tons. This meteorite, which is estimated to have fallen to Earth between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago, was used by the indigenous Inuit people long before it was discovered by European explorers. The Inuit ingeniously used fragments of the iron-rich meteorite to make tools and harpoon points, as Greenland has few natural metal resources.
The Cape York meteorite gained international attention in the 19th century when explorer Robert Peary, with the help of Inuit guides, located and transported several of its large fragments to the United States. The logistics of moving these enormous pieces across treacherous terrain were a significant feat, and Peary’s efforts eventually brought the fragments, including Ahnighito, to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where they are displayed today. Ahnighito is so heavy that the museum had to install special supports to hold its weight, making it a unique exhibit.
The Cape York meteorite holds great scientific and cultural value. It provides insight into the history of meteoritic iron use by indigenous cultures, and its well-preserved structure has been a valuable source of data on the composition of iron meteorites. As both a relic of ancient space history and a symbol of human ingenuity, the Cape York meteorite remains one of the most celebrated and studied meteorites in the world.
Cape York Meteorite on display at AMNH in New York.
The Ensisheim meteorite is renowned for being the oldest recorded meteorite fall in European history, making it an important landmark in both scientific and cultural terms. This stony meteorite fell on November 7, 1492, in the small town of Ensisheim in Alsace, France, with a loud explosion, embedding itself in a wheat field. At around 127 kilograms, the meteorite left a lasting impression on the townspeople, who regarded it as a powerful omen. The fall occurred during a time when celestial events were often seen as messages from the divine, adding to its significance in historical records.
News of the meteorite spread quickly, reaching the ears of King Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, who ordered the meteorite to be preserved. To honor its significance, the townspeople placed the meteorite in the local church, where it became a symbol of divine intervention. Over time, pieces were chipped away by pilgrims and officials, but a large part of the original meteorite remains intact and can still be seen today in Ensisheim’s Regency Palace.
The Ensisheim meteorite is also famous for marking the early interest in meteoritics—the scientific study of meteorites—since its fall was one of the first to be formally documented in Europe. Today, the meteorite serves as an enduring connection to early scientific inquiry and the cultural interpretations of celestial events. Each year, the town of Ensisheim celebrates the meteorite’s fall with a festival, drawing visitors and collectors who appreciate its historical and scientific importance. The Ensisheim meteorite remains an enduring symbol of humankind’s fascination with the cosmos and our search for meaning in celestial phenomena.
The Ensisheim Meteorite - The Oldest (Recorded) Witnessed Meteorite Fall
The Peekskill meteorite is famous for its spectacular and highly documented fall on October 9, 1992, which culminated in it striking a parked car in Peekskill, New York. This stony meteorite, weighing about 12.4 kilograms (27 pounds), entered Earth’s atmosphere as a brilliant fireball witnessed by thousands across several U.S. states. The meteor’s descent was captured on video by numerous spectators at a high school football game, making it one of the most thoroughly recorded meteor falls in history.
As it neared the ground, the meteorite shattered, with the main fragment ultimately crashing into the trunk of a red 1980 Chevrolet Malibu, owned by teenager Michelle Knapp. The impact left a significant dent in the car and made the vehicle—and the meteorite—famous. This unusual collision between a meteorite and a car drew global media attention and sparked fascination with the ways meteorites can interact with human life.
What makes the Peekskill meteorite particularly notable is the extensive video documentation, which provided scientists with valuable data on its trajectory, speed, and fragmentation. Additionally, both the meteorite and the damaged car have become iconic collectibles, with the car displayed at various exhibitions and the meteorite studied and sold to collectors. The Peekskill meteorite remains an enduring symbol of cosmic unpredictability, vividly illustrating how an object from space can alter a moment on Earth. You can even rent the impacted car and meteorite for exhibit at MeteoriteCar.com
The Peekskill Meteorite: The Space Rock That Crashed a Chevy
The Canyon Diablo meteorite is famous for being the meteorite responsible for creating the iconic Barringer Crater, also known as Meteor Crater, in Arizona, USA. Around 50,000 years ago, a massive iron-nickel meteoroid, estimated to be about 30 to 50 meters in diameter, crashed into the Earth’s surface with an explosive force equivalent to several megatons of TNT. The impact formed a crater nearly 1.2 kilometers wide and 170 meters deep, making it one of the best-preserved impact craters on Earth.
Fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite were scattered around the site of the impact and have since been collected and studied extensively. The meteorite is an iron-nickel type with inclusions of rare minerals such as cohenite, schreibersite, and troilite. The unique composition of Canyon Diablo fragments has provided scientists with important insights into the makeup of iron meteorites and the conditions within asteroids.
Today, Meteor Crater is a popular tourist attraction, and fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite are displayed in museums worldwide, symbolizing one of the most well-studied and visually striking examples of a meteorite impact on Earth.
Impact crater of the Canyon Diablo meteorite near Winslow, Arizona.
The Murchison meteorite, which fell near the town of Murchison in Victoria, Australia, in 1969, is one of the most scientifically valuable meteorites ever discovered due to its rich organic composition. Classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, Murchison contains a high percentage of carbon-based compounds and an array of organic molecules, including amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Remarkably, the meteorite holds over 90 amino acids, many of which are not found on Earth, sparking significant interest in the study of prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life.
What makes the Murchison meteorite particularly famous is its age and the insights it provides into the early solar system. Estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old—about as old as the Sun and planets—its materials have remained largely unaltered, offering a pristine record of the conditions present in the early solar nebula. Additionally, it contains complex sugars, nucleobases, and other organic compounds, suggesting that key ingredients for life’s emergence could have been delivered to Earth by meteorites, supporting theories of panspermia.
Due to its extensive organic inventory, Murchison has been studied intensively by researchers looking to understand how life-essential compounds may have originated in space. It is one of the most frequently analyzed meteorites in the world, and fragments of Murchison remain in collections and museums globally. The meteorite’s wealth of organic compounds and its implications for life’s origins make it one of the most famous and scientifically significant meteorites known.
The Hoba Meteorite: The Largest Intact Meteorite on Earth
The Hoba meteorite is the largest known meteorite on Earth, weighing an astonishing 66 tons. It was discovered in 1920 on a farm near Grootfontein, Namibia, but it likely fell to Earth around 80,000 years ago. Composed primarily of iron and nickel, Hoba measures about 2.7 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and nearly 1 meter thick, giving it the appearance of a massive, metallic block.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hoba meteorite is that it didn’t create a crater upon impact, despite its immense weight and size. Scientists believe this unusual phenomenon occurred because Hoba entered Earth's atmosphere at a very shallow angle, slowing its descent and causing it to land more gently. Over time, it became partially buried in the ground, where it was eventually discovered by a farmer.
Hoba is also famous for its accessibility—it has remained in its original location since its discovery, now protected as a national monument by the Namibian government. Its sheer size, combined with its remarkable preservation and accessibility, makes Hoba a valuable scientific specimen and a popular tourist attraction.
Weighing an incredible 66 tons, the Hoba meteorite is the largest known meteorite on Earth.
The Sylacauga Meteorite: The First (Verified) Meteorite To Hit A Human
The Sylacauga meteorite, also known as the "Hodges Meteorite," is famous for being the first recorded instance of a meteorite striking a human. On November 30, 1954, a grapefruit-sized fragment of this meteorite fell through the roof of Ann Hodges' home in Sylacauga, Alabama, USA. The meteorite crashed through the ceiling, bounced off a radio, and struck Hodges as she lay on her couch, causing a large bruise on her side. This extraordinary event brought significant media attention, making the Sylacauga meteorite one of the most well-known meteorite falls in modern history.
The meteorite itself is a chondrite, a stony meteorite type rich in silicate minerals. The Sylacauga meteorite's dramatic impact on a person highlighted the rare, yet possible, risks of meteorite falls to human life and property. Following the incident, a legal dispute arose over ownership between Ann Hodges and her landlord, drawing even more attention to the event. Eventually, Hodges retained the meteorite and later donated it to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, where it is still displayed.
The Sylacauga (Hodges) meteorite on display at the Alabama Museum of Natural History
The Fukang Meteorite: Queen Of The Pallasites
The Fukang meteorite is renowned for its stunning beauty, often described as a “gem from space” Discovered in China’s Gobi Desert in 2000, the Fukang meteorite is a rare type called a pallasite, a unique stony-iron meteorite containing exceptionally large, transparent olivine crystals (a mineral also found on Earth) embedded within a metallic iron-nickel matrix. When sliced and polished, the meteorite reveals a breathtaking pattern, with honey-colored olivine crystals creating a mosaic-like appearance against a shimmering metallic background.
This striking structure makes Fukang one of the most visually captivating meteorites ever discovered. Pallasites like Fukang are rare, making up around 0.1% of all known meteorites, and are believed to originate from the boundary between the core and mantle of a large asteroid or possibly a planetesimal. Fukang is one of the largest pallasites ever found, weighing over a thousand kilograms before it was divided into smaller pieces. It also contains some of the larger olivine crystals of all of the pallasites.
The Fukang meteorite cut to display its massive, gemmy olivine crystals.
The Willamette Meteorite: A Sacred Relic
The Willamette Meteorite is one of the most famous meteorites in the United States, celebrated for both its scientific importance and cultural significance. Discovered in 1902 near present-day West Linn, Oregon, this massive iron meteorite weighs approximately 15.5 tons, making it the largest meteorite ever found in the United States and the sixth-largest in the world. Composed primarily of iron and nickel, the meteorite has a smooth, weathered surface with large, deep cavities created by millennia of exposure to terrestrial weathering.
What truly sets the Willamette Meteorite apart is its cultural and spiritual importance. The Clackamas people, an indigenous tribe of the Pacific Northwest, discovered the meteorite centuries before European settlers arrived and regarded it as a sacred object. They called it "Tomanowos" and believed it had been placed on Earth by a powerful spirit. For generations, the Clackamas performed ceremonies around the meteorite, viewing it as a bridge between heaven and Earth.
Today, the Willamette Meteorite is housed in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where it is on display as a national treasure. Despite being relocated, it remains a powerful symbol for the Clackamas people, who continue to perform annual ceremonies around it in honor of their cultural heritage. The meteorite’s remarkable size, historical significance, and sacred status make it one of the most famous and revered meteorites in the world.
The Willamette Meteorite on Display: Two young boys sit on the largest meteorite found in the United States.
The Chelyabinsk Meteorite: The Meteorite That Shook Russia
The Chelyabinsk meteorite became globally famous in 2013 after a meteoroid exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in a dramatic, once-in-a-century event. This meteoroid, about 20 meters wide and weighing an estimated 13,000 metric tons, entered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of approximately 60,000 km/h. Upon entering the atmosphere, it exploded at an altitude of around 30 kilometers, releasing an energy equivalent to about 470–500 kilotons of TNT. This explosion produced a blinding flash of light, followed by a powerful shockwave that shattered windows, damaged buildings, and injured over 1,500 people, primarily from flying glass.
What makes the Chelyabinsk meteorite so famous is not only its size but also the unprecedented amount of footage capturing the event. The explosion was recorded by thousands of dashcams, smartphones, and security cameras, providing scientists with detailed data on its trajectory, speed, and fragmentation process. This footage allowed researchers to accurately model the event and analyze the dynamics of a meteoroid’s entry and explosion in Earth's atmosphere.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite underscored the potential dangers posed by near-Earth objects and sparked renewed global interest in asteroid impact preparedness. The event demonstrated that even relatively small meteoroids could cause significant damage and injuries, highlighting the need for better monitoring systems to detect and track such objects. Fragments of the meteorite, which fell across a wide area, are now prized by collectors and studied by scientists for insights into their composition and structure. Chelyabinsk remains a symbol of Earth's vulnerability to cosmic impacts and a reminder of the importance of planetary defense initiatives.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite streaks across the sky in Russia.
The Allende Meteorite: Time Capsule of the Early Solar System
The Allende meteorite, which fell over the Mexican state of Chihuahua in February 1969, is one of the most scientifically significant meteorites ever discovered. Upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, the meteorite exploded, scattering thousands of fragments across a wide area. Allende is a carbonaceous chondrite, a type of stony meteorite rich in carbon-based compounds and organic material. What makes the Allende meteorite particularly famous is its age and composition: it contains some of the oldest material in the solar system, estimated to be around 4.6 billion years old, dating back to the formation of the Sun and planets.
The meteorite's fragments contain calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), which are among the first solid materials to condense from the solar nebula. These CAIs are invaluable to scientists because they serve as a "time capsule," preserving information about the early solar system’s conditions before the planets formed. Additionally, Allende contains pre-solar grains—tiny particles that predate the formation of our solar system, originating from older stars that existed before the Sun.
Since its fall, Allende has been extensively studied and remains one of the most analyzed meteorites in history. Its rich organic compounds, ancient mineral inclusions, and rare pre-solar grains have contributed profoundly to our understanding of solar system formation and the processes that shaped early planetary bodies. Scientists continue to study Allende's fragments, making it a cornerstone of meteoritic research and a symbol of our cosmic origins.
A slice of the Allende meteorite showing its unique internal structure.
The Cape York Meteorite: A Source of Iron for Indigenous People
The Cape York meteorite is famous for its massive size, historical significance, and cultural impact. Discovered in Greenland, this iron meteorite is one of the largest ever found, with its heaviest fragment, known as "Ahnighito," weighing about 34 tons. This meteorite, which is estimated to have fallen to Earth between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago, was used by the indigenous Inuit people long before it was discovered by European explorers. The Inuit ingeniously used fragments of the iron-rich meteorite to make tools and harpoon points, as Greenland has few natural metal resources.
The Cape York meteorite gained international attention in the 19th century when explorer Robert Peary, with the help of Inuit guides, located and transported several of its large fragments to the United States. The logistics of moving these enormous pieces across treacherous terrain were a significant feat, and Peary’s efforts eventually brought the fragments, including Ahnighito, to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where they are displayed today. Ahnighito is so heavy that the museum had to install special supports to hold its weight, making it a unique exhibit.
The Cape York meteorite holds great scientific and cultural value. It provides insight into the history of meteoritic iron use by indigenous cultures, and its well-preserved structure has been a valuable source of data on the composition of iron meteorites. As both a relic of ancient space history and a symbol of human ingenuity, the Cape York meteorite remains one of the most celebrated and studied meteorites in the world.
Cape York Meteorite on display at AMNH in New York.
The Ensisheim Meteorite: The Oldest (Recorded) Witnessed Meteorite Fall
The Ensisheim meteorite is renowned for being the oldest recorded meteorite fall in European history, making it an important landmark in both scientific and cultural terms. This stony meteorite fell on November 7, 1492, in the small town of Ensisheim in Alsace, France, with a loud explosion, embedding itself in a wheat field. At around 127 kilograms, the meteorite left a lasting impression on the townspeople, who regarded it as a powerful omen. The fall occurred during a time when celestial events were often seen as messages from the divine, adding to its significance in historical records.
News of the meteorite spread quickly, reaching the ears of King Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, who ordered the meteorite to be preserved. To honor its significance, the townspeople placed the meteorite in the local church, where it became a symbol of divine intervention. Over time, pieces were chipped away by pilgrims and officials, but a large part of the original meteorite remains intact and can still be seen today in Ensisheim’s Regency Palace.
The Ensisheim meteorite is also famous for marking the early interest in meteoritics—the scientific study of meteorites—since its fall was one of the first to be formally documented in Europe. Today, the meteorite serves as an enduring connection to early scientific inquiry and the cultural interpretations of celestial events. Each year, the town of Ensisheim celebrates the meteorite’s fall with a festival, drawing visitors and collectors who appreciate its historical and scientific importance. The Ensisheim meteorite remains an enduring symbol of humankind’s fascination with the cosmos and our search for meaning in celestial phenomena.
The Ensisheim Meteorite - The Oldest (Recorded) Witnessed Meteorite Fall
The Peekskill Meteorite: The Space Rock That Crashed a Chevy
The Peekskill meteorite is famous for its spectacular and highly documented fall on October 9, 1992, which culminated in it striking a parked car in Peekskill, New York. This stony meteorite, weighing about 12.4 kilograms (27 pounds), entered Earth’s atmosphere as a brilliant fireball witnessed by thousands across several U.S. states. The meteor’s descent was captured on video by numerous spectators at a high school football game, making it one of the most thoroughly recorded meteor falls in history.
As it neared the ground, the meteorite shattered, with the main fragment ultimately crashing into the trunk of a red 1980 Chevrolet Malibu, owned by teenager Michelle Knapp. The impact left a significant dent in the car and made the vehicle—and the meteorite—famous. This unusual collision between a meteorite and a car drew global media attention and sparked fascination with the ways meteorites can interact with human life.
What makes the Peekskill meteorite particularly notable is the extensive video documentation, which provided scientists with valuable data on its trajectory, speed, and fragmentation. Additionally, both the meteorite and the damaged car have become iconic collectibles, with the car displayed at various exhibitions and the meteorite studied and sold to collectors. The Peekskill meteorite remains an enduring symbol of cosmic unpredictability, vividly illustrating how an object from space can alter a moment on Earth. You can even rent the impacted car and meteorite for exhibit at MeteoriteCar.com
The Peekskill Meteorite: The Space Rock That Crashed a Chevy
The Canyon Diablo Meteorite: Creator Of The Barringer Crater
The Canyon Diablo meteorite is famous for being the meteorite responsible for creating the iconic Barringer Crater, also known as Meteor Crater, in Arizona, USA. Around 50,000 years ago, a massive iron-nickel meteoroid, estimated to be about 30 to 50 meters in diameter, crashed into the Earth’s surface with an explosive force equivalent to several megatons of TNT. The impact formed a crater nearly 1.2 kilometers wide and 170 meters deep, making it one of the best-preserved impact craters on Earth.
Fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite were scattered around the site of the impact and have since been collected and studied extensively. The meteorite is an iron-nickel type with inclusions of rare minerals such as cohenite, schreibersite, and troilite. The unique composition of Canyon Diablo fragments has provided scientists with important insights into the makeup of iron meteorites and the conditions within asteroids.
Today, Meteor Crater is a popular tourist attraction, and fragments of the Canyon Diablo meteorite are displayed in museums worldwide, symbolizing one of the most well-studied and visually striking examples of a meteorite impact on Earth.
Impact crater of the Canyon Diablo meteorite near Winslow, Arizona.
The Murchison Meteorite: Building Blocks of Life
The Murchison meteorite, which fell near the town of Murchison in Victoria, Australia, in 1969, is one of the most scientifically valuable meteorites ever discovered due to its rich organic composition. Classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, Murchison contains a high percentage of carbon-based compounds and an array of organic molecules, including amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Remarkably, the meteorite holds over 90 amino acids, many of which are not found on Earth, sparking significant interest in the study of prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life.
What makes the Murchison meteorite particularly famous is its age and the insights it provides into the early solar system. Estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old—about as old as the Sun and planets—its materials have remained largely unaltered, offering a pristine record of the conditions present in the early solar nebula. Additionally, it contains complex sugars, nucleobases, and other organic compounds, suggesting that key ingredients for life’s emergence could have been delivered to Earth by meteorites, supporting theories of panspermia.
Due to its extensive organic inventory, Murchison has been studied intensively by researchers looking to understand how life-essential compounds may have originated in space. It is one of the most frequently analyzed meteorites in the world, and fragments of Murchison remain in collections and museums globally. The meteorite’s wealth of organic compounds and its implications for life’s origins make it one of the most famous and scientifically significant meteorites known.
