Pallasites | |
---|---|
— Class — | |
Type | Stony-iron |
Subgroups |
|
Composition | Meteoric iron, Silicates |
Total known specimens | 49 Main group, 5 Eagle Station, 2 Pyroxene grouplet, 38 ungrouped (93 total) |
The pallasites are a class of stony–iron meteorite. They are relatively rare, and can be distinguished by the presence of large olivine crystal inclusions in the ferro-nickel matrix.
These crystals represent mantle and core material from differentiated planetesimals, which were destroyed by violent collisions during the early formation of the Solar System.