What is inside a meteorite?
Inside, a meteorite is made of minerals and often shiny bits of metal. Many contain little round grains called chondrules, and some are almost solid iron.
From the outside, most meteorites look like dark stones. Scientists cut thin slices to see inside, and that is where the secrets are.
Most meteorites are stony meteorites. Inside, they are often grey and full of tiny specks of shiny metal, a mixture of iron and nickel. Many also contain lots of little round balls, usually smaller than a pea, called chondrules. These formed as molten droplets floating in space before the planets were made, about 4.5 billion years ago. Meteorites with chondrules are called chondrites.
Iron meteorites are almost all metal inside, mainly iron with some nickel. When a slice is polished and treated with a special chemical, it shows a beautiful criss-cross pattern of metal crystals that grew very slowly inside an asteroid.
Stony-iron meteorites have both. One kind, the pallasite, has gemmy green crystals of a mineral called olivine set in shining metal.
Some meteorites contain even more surprises: water locked inside minerals, tiny diamonds, and dust grains older than the Sun. Remember, you should never try to break open a meteorite yourself. Scientists have special tools and know how to do it without spoiling it, and museums display polished slices so everyone can see the inside.