Brenham
is a
pallasite
The pallasites are a Meteorite classification#Terminology, class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.
These crystals represe ...
meteorite
A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
found near
Haviland, a small town in
Kiowa County, Kansas
Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Greensburg. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,460. The county is named after the Kiowa tribe.
History
19th century
In ...
, United States.
Pallasite
The pallasites are a Meteorite classification#Terminology, class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.
These crystals represe ...
s are a type of
stony–iron meteorite
Stony-iron meteorites or siderolites are meteorites that consist of nearly equal parts of meteoric iron and Silicate mineral, silicates. This distinguishes them from the stony meteorites, that are mostly silicates, and the iron meteorites, that ar ...
that when cut and polished show yellowish
olivine
The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron Silicate minerals, silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of Nesosilicates, nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle, it is a com ...
(peridot) crystals.
The Brenham meteorite is associated with the
Haviland Crater
The Haviland Crater, also called the Brenham Crater, is a meteorite crater (astrobleme) in Kiowa County, Kansas.
The oval crater is in diameter, making it one of the smallest impact craters in the world. Its age is estimated to be less than 1000 ...
.
History
In 1949, a collector named H.O. Stockwell discovered a mass of , known at the time as "The World's Largest Pallasite Meteorite."
In October 2005, geologist Philip Mani and meteorite hunter Steve Arnold located and recovered the largest fragment ever found of Brenham: a single
pallasite
The pallasites are a Meteorite classification#Terminology, class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.
These crystals represe ...
mass of .
Classification and composition
Brenham is an anomalous
pallasite
The pallasites are a Meteorite classification#Terminology, class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.
These crystals represe ...
(Pallasite-an).
Specimens
The mass found by Mani and Arnold is currently housed in a private collection in Texas.
The mass discovered in 1949 is called ''The Space Wanderer'' and is on display at
The Big Well in
Greensburg, Kansas
Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the city was 740. It is home to the world's largest hand-dug well.
On the evening of May 4, 2007, Gre ...
. It was found, and excavated using hand tools, on the Ellis Peck farm, east of
Greensburg, Kansas
Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the city was 740. It is home to the world's largest hand-dug well.
On the evening of May 4, 2007, Gre ...
.
A large collection of Brenham meteorites, along with numerous fragments weighing a total of 8,500 pounds, were once housed at the now-closed Kansas Meteorite Museum and Nature Center in
Haviland, Kansas
Haviland is a city in Kiowa County, Kansas, Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 678. It is located along U.S. Route 54, Highway 54. It is home of Barclay Colle ...
.
Greensburg, Kansas
Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kiowa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the city was 740. It is home to the world's largest hand-dug well.
On the evening of May 4, 2007, Gre ...
See also
*
Glossary of meteoritics
This is a glossary of terms used in meteoritics, the science of meteorites.
#
* 2 Pallas – an asteroid from the asteroid belt and one of the likely parent bodies of the CR meteorites.
* 4 Vesta – second-largest asteroid in the asteroid bel ...
References
External links
*
* on World Record Meteorite Website
{{Meteorites by name
Meteorites found in the United States
Geology of Kansas
Stony-iron meteorites