Genuine Nantan Meteorite Specimen - Chinese Meteorite - Space Rocks - Collectors Specimens - Meteorite Fragments

This listing is for one amazing genuine fragment specimen of the Nantan Meteorite which is sold as seen.

A Nickel-Iron Octahedrite, believed to have originated from the asteroid belt, was observed to fall from the sky in May of 1516, in Nantan County, China. Later named the Nantan Meteorite it impacted near Lihu Town and the Ladan and Baya area. It was distributed over an area 27-28km long and 8km wide and appears to have broken up in the air as pieces of it ranging from 10grams to over 2,000kg have been found scattered over an area of about 400 square miles. It is currently estimated that the total mass was about 9,500kg. However, even though the fall was recorded at the time, it was ignored until 1958 when China needed steel for constructing “New China” and everyone was told to look for iron ore. Subsequently, peasants dug up the "Iron Ore" rocks but unfortunately the 'iron rocks' would not melt and this led to geologists being sent to inspect the rocks and discovering that they were in fact, iron meteorites.

The meteorite itself has been estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old, as old as the earth itself, although it only fell to earth around 500 years ago.

Specimens available;
- A: approx. 2.5cms x 1.8cms x 0.5cms, 5g.
- B: approx. 2cms x 1.7cms x 0.7cms, 8g.
- C: approx. 2.5cms x 2cms x 0.6cms, 9g.