| Cape York | |
|---|---|
 The "Ahnighito" fragment in the American Museum of Natural History | |
| Type | Iron |
| Structural classification | Medium octahedrite |
| Group | IIIAB |
| Composition | 7.84% Ni, 0.50% Co, 0.15% P, 0.02% C, 1.3% S, 19 ppm Ga, 36 ppm Ge, 5 ppm Ir[1] |
| Country | Greenland |
| Region | Avannaata |
| Coordinates | 76°08′N 64°56′W / 76.133°N 64.933°W[2] |
| Fall date | A few thousand years ago[3] |
| Found date | About 1000 years ago[4] |
| TKW | 58,200 kg[2] |
| Strewn field | Yes |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
The Cape York meteorite, also known as the Innaanganeq meteorite, is one of the largest known iron meteorites, classified as a medium octahedrite in chemical group IIIAB.[5] In addition to many small fragments, at least eight large fragments with a total mass of 58 tonnes have been recovered, the largest weighing 31 tonnes (31 long tons; 34 short tons). The meteorite was named after Cape York, a prominent geographic feature located approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of the east coast of Meteorite island and the nearby peninsulas in northern Melville Bay, Greenland, where the first meteorite fragments were discovered.
The date of the meteorite fall is debated, but was likely within the last few thousand years.[3] It was known to the Inughuit (the local Inuit) for centuries, who used it as a source of meteoritic iron for tools. The first foreigner to reach the meteorite was Robert Peary in 1894, with the assistance of Inuit guides. Large pieces are on display at the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
- ^ Buchwald 1975a, p. 410.
- ^ a b "Cape York". Meteoritical Bulletin Database. Lunar and Planetary Institute. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b Appelt et al. 2015, p. 62.
- ^ Appelt et al. 2015, p. 16.
- ^ Buchwald 1975a, p. 424.