Campo del Cielo: the field of the sky
A crater field and some of the heaviest meteorites ever found.
Around 4,000 to 4,500 years ago, a large iron meteoroid broke apart over what is now northern Argentina and blasted out a field of at least 26 craters. Local people knew of the iron masses, and the area became known as Campo del Cielo, the field of the sky. Spanish explorers recorded it in 1576.
Over 100 tonnes of iron have been recovered. Two masses, El Chaco and Gancedo, each weigh around 30 tonnes, making them among the heaviest meteorites known after Hoba.
Campo del Cielo is an IAB iron, often containing small silicate inclusions. Argentina protects the largest masses by law.
In the catalogue
- Campo del Cielo Iron, IAB-MG, Argentina, 1575 · 50 t