Canyon Diablo Meteorite, 42.84g, Meteor Crater, Arizona

Canyon Diablo meteorite, complete individual with excellent form. This meteorite has been carefully cleaned to remove the caliche and restore its original metallic luster, how it would have looked in space or as a fresh fall on Earth. Canyon Diablo iron meteorites are fragments of the asteroid that created the famous Arizona Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater. The most recognizable and well-preserved meteorite crater on Earth. This Canyon Diablo meteorite specimen is perfect for the detail-oriented collector or enthusiast who enjoys the metallic shine and sculptural aesthetic of iron meteorites. 

• Official Name: Canyon Diablo
• Classification: Iron, IAB-MG, Coarse Octahedrite
• Place of Find: Meteor Crater, Coconino County, Arizona
• Year Found: 1891
  
• Weight: 42.84g
• Size: 30 x 30 x 18mm
• Includes: Meteorite specimen id label.
• Total known weight: 30 metric tons
  
  

About 50,000 years ago, an asteroid, originating from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, weighing 63,000 tons and traveling approximately 30,000-40,000 miles an hour, plowed into the desert of Northern Arizona. The explosive impact formed a crater 1.2 km in diameter and 600 feet deep, with a raised rim that rises 150 feet above the surrounding plain. Most of the asteroid was vaporized on impact. The surviving meteorite fragments were found scattered around the crater rim and surrounding areas. In total, about 30 tons of meteorite fragments have been found, some were ejected up to 11 miles away. The impact site is located 40 miles east of Flagstaff, in Coconino county, near Winslow, Arizona. The meteorites are named after the meandering Canyon Diablo river gorge, 2 miles west of the crater. 

Arizona's Meteor Crater was the first meteorite crater identified on Earth, in 1891 and studying it has taught scientists much about the effects of these extraordinary crater-forming impacts. 

Iron Meteorites: Cleaned vs Desert Patina?

Iron meteorites that have been on Earth, exposed to the environment and elements for thousands of years can develop a bronze desert patina, or desert varnish. Here in Arizona, Canyon Diablo meteorites are also sometimes encrusted with caliche. Caliche is a hard soil deposit that forms when calcium carbonate precipitates and binds with other soil materials, such as; sand, clay, silt. Some collectors prefer their meteorites as is, exactly as it was found on the ground. While others prefer a clean space rock with a metallic shine. It's up to the individual and their personal preference, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! So we offer both! Canyon Diablo meteorites; cleaned and "as found" with desert patina.