Allende
Gallery Location
Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth's Treasures
Geography: Place Collected
North America, Mexico, Chihuahua, Pueblito De Allende
Dimensions
Weight: 868 g; 6 x 12 x 8.5 cm
Object number
ROMESM29167
Department
Natural History: Meteorites
Description
The Allende is one of the most studied of meteorites. It contains a wealth of information about the early Solar System. Many of the light-grey spots you see in its surface are called calcium-aluminum inclusions, or CAI's. These aggregates of microscopic crystals may well be the oldest known solids, having crystallized over 4.5 billion years ago at the dawn of our Solar System. The Allende also contains chondrules: small rounded aggregates of minerals, primarily silicates, that appear to have crystallized from molten droplets, and which are also very old. But what is especially interesting about this meteorite is that it is carbonaceous, containing carbon, much of it as a complex mixture of organic compounds, including a few we find on Earth. These aspects of the Allende are clues to the earliest history of our Solar System, and perhaps even to life itself.
If you see an error or have additional information, please contact us.