Pallasite
A stony-iron meteorite with green olivine crystals set in a network of shiny iron-nickel metal.
A pallasite looks like stained glass made by nature. It is a stony-iron meteorite, with roughly equal parts of olive-green crystals of the mineral olivine and gleaming iron-nickel metal. When a slice is polished and held up to the light, the olivine glows yellow, green or amber between the silvery metal.
Pallasites were once thought to form at the boundary between a metal core and a rocky mantle inside an asteroid, but scientists now debate this and suggest other ideas, such as metal from an impact mixing into mantle rock. They are named after Peter Simon Pallas, a German naturalist who described a large mass found near Krasnoyarsk in Siberia in the 1770s. Famous examples include Imilac in Chile, Esquel in Argentina, Brenham in Kansas and Fukang in China.
To recognise a pallasite, look for rounded or angular green crystals packed in metal. It will be heavy and strongly attracted to a magnet. Pallasites rust easily, so keep them dry. Never try to cut, heat or etch one yourself; slicing needs special saws and is a job for professionals.
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Level: Explorer Ages 10 and up