__NOTOC__ The Karoonda meteorite is a

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 ...

that fell to earth on 25 November 1930 at 10:53 pm near the

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

n town of Karoonda. It is of a rare composition, being

carbonaceous chondrite Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 8 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites. The C chondrites represent only a small propo ...

, and is also rare in that it was found so soon after its landing. Several fragments are now held in the

South Australian Museum The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultur ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

The fall and discovery

On 25 November 1930, the meteorite was seen falling through the sky from the

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...

in the west to the middle of Victoria in the east. Adelaide residents reported a "huge ball of fire with a flaming tail" shooting across the eastern sky. Some reported that the colour of the flames changed from brilliant red, to pale blue to sickly yellow. Other witnesses recalled its effect as "turning light into day". Witnesses closer to Karoonda reported that a loud detonation followed by a low rumbling like thunder was heard shortly after the meteorite passed overhead. It landed at 10:53 pm near Karoonda. The meteorite was found on 9 December by a search party headed by Professor

Kerr Grant Professor Sir Kerr Grant (1878–1967) was an Australian physicist and a significant figure in higher education administration in South Australia in the first half of the twentieth century. Kerr Grant was born in the then rural town of Bacchus ...

of the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

and state government astronomer George Dodwell, who led a team of students. They collected information from locals and then searched an area of radius . The remains of the object were found about underground, in a crater about in diameter. It had shattered on impact, owing to its composition, causing the town to shake on impact. News of the meteorite spread worldwide.

Composition and rarity

It turned out to be of a very rare type, composed mainly of

iron silicate Fayalite (, commonly abbreviated to Fa) is the iron-rich end-member of the olivine solid-solution series. In common with all minerals in the olivine group, fayalite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system (space group ''Pbnm'') with cell para ...

s, later classified as a "chondritic asiderite". After all fragments had been collected, they weighed in total. It was composed of a mixture of minerals, including

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

, iron and

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

Stony meteorite In meteoritics, a meteorite classification system attempts to group similar meteorites and allows scientists to communicate with a standardized terminology when discussing them. Meteorites are classified according to a variety of characteristics ...

s are relatively rare, and the fact that it is a

, meaning that it

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalence, tetravalent—meaning that its atoms are able to form up to four covalent bonds due to its valence shell exhibiting 4 ...

, adds to its rarity. This type is only present in around 4.6% of meteorites found. The CK chondrites, a group of carbonaceous chondrite (which are a class of

chondritic meteorite A chondrite is a stony (non-metallic) meteorite that has not been modified by either melting or differentiation of the parent body. They are formed when various types of dust and small grains in the early Solar System accreted to form primit ...

) were named for this meteorite. To add to its rarity value, it is one of very few meteorites to be found soon after falling, having been found within a couple of weeks.

Commemorative obelisk

On 27 May 1932 a commemorative obelisk and plaque were unveiled at Karoonda by Professor Grant and his wife. It is believed to be the first commemoration of a meteorite's landing, and is situated in the RSL Park on Railway Terrace. The plaque reads:

Preservation

Some pieces of the meteorite were sent to the

for display soon afterwards, with the local council, now the

District Council of Karoonda East Murray The District Council of Karoonda East Murray is a local government area in the Murray Mallee area of South Australia. The main council offices are in Karoonda. The council area covers 4,415 square kilometres and had a population of approximate ...

, was given one of the largest fragments. However in October 2022 the council decided to send this valuable fragment of the meteorite to the museum, as it was too costly and very difficult to insure, partly because its value was so hard to calculate. Even tiny pieces weighing less than a gram can sell for around . The council retains ownership, but the museum will be responsible for its care and protection.

References

External links