Unique Zacatecas Meteorite – Polished and Etched Slice
Iron-Nickel
Zacatecas, Mexico
A unique feature of this Zacatecas specimen is that there is clear evidence that the exterior has been hammered; it appears to have been used as an anvil for some period of time. Zacatecas is distinguished as one of the few polycrystalline iron meteorites. Its polycrystalline structure, with dispersed troilite, is such that the powdered material of which it is composed coalesced into a mass by heat and compression, without liquefaction. The present large slice displays one polished and etched surface, revealing the very fine polycrystalline interior of this iron-nickel meteorite. Weighing approximately 842 grams and measuring 220 x 175 x 5mm