The Henbury iron
meteorites were originally investigated during 1931 when an
expedition by A.R. Alderman and Bedford discovered and
documented 13 impact craters in the Northern Territory,
Australia. The individual craters are thought to have formed
around 5000 years ago when a large iron meteorite fragmented
into pieces before impact. The craters have been eroded over
time and several are now just shallow depressions. The Henbury
meteorites themselves are very distinctive and unique with a
beautiful ochre-red patina from the Australian outback soil.
While some specimens are extremely well preserved, others have
lain in more moisture prone areas and have very heavily
weathered away to shale. Some individuals which have been buried
also tend to display very sharp, angular ridges making for some
intriguing and beautiful shapes. Henbury is classified as a
Medium Octahedrite, IIIAB and while the exact total weight of
recovered specimens is unknown, it is thought to be
approximately 2-3 tonnes.
The 193.7g specimen
below is a highly
sculptured piece and is part of the Meteorites Australia
Collection (MA.06.0055).
Henbury (IIIAB) - 193.7g Sculptured & Regmaglypted
Individual.
(Click image to enlarge in new window.)
Henbury (IIIAB) - 193.7g Sculptured & Regmaglypted
Individual.
(Click image to enlarge in new window.)
Henbury (IIIAB) - 193.7g Sculptured & Regmaglypted
Individual.
(Click image to enlarge in new window.)