Tasmanite (tektite)

Tasmanite are tektites found in Tasmania, a regional form of australite, the most common type of tektite, glass of meteorite origin, traditionally named for its geographic location. Quite often, tasmanites are found in the literature under the name australites (from Tasmania), together with which they are included in a very broad category of tektites, originating from the largest Australasian tektite strewnfield on earth. In the northern part of the scatter field, australites partially overlap and connect with part of the range of indochinites, and on the southern border they are present under the name tasmanites. In general, all of the listed regional tektites are included in the general class of indochinites-australites,^[1] sometimes referred to under the summary name Australasian tektites.^[2]

Under normal lighting, tasmanites are most often opaque and have a dark brown, brownish-greenish or almost dull black color. Among the general part of tasmanites belonging to the southern branch of australites, there are varieties of regular “aerodynamic" shape (sometimes in the form of a small bowl), disc-shaped or hollow balls. In some specimens, the correct form has a man-made appearance, creating the impression of artificial origin.

In addition to the regional part of the australite scatter field, Tasmanites also include purely local tektites, characteristic exclusively of certain regions of Tasmania. Tasmanites were found in considerable quantities in an area of about 410 km² south of Queenstown in the vicinity of Mount Darwin and were called "Darwin glass".^[3]: 435 According to calculations (approximate quantity per unit of territory), the total weight of this variety of tasmanites should have been several thousand tons.^[4]: 117