Chico L6 Impact Melt Meteorite

Find / Fall: Find – 1954
Location: New Mexico, USA
Classification: Chondrite L6
Total Known Weight: 104.8 kg

In 1954 in the state of New Mexico a single 104 kilogram stone was discovered that was so different from anything else that they were not certain at first if it was truly a meteorite. It had vesicles and was melted looked like nothing seen before. Holes were bored through the stone to get an idea of what was inside the different areas of the large stone. Since that time other meteorites with similar characteristics have been studied. They form a small and exotic group called impact melt breccias. The meteoroids they were before landing have had a violent history in space of being struck and melted and cooling again. The metal in Chico for example has become tiny round blebs that appear as shiny swirls running through the rest of the stone. Chico is classified as an L6 and does have remaining chondrules. Some of which are remarkable in their size. Gas bubbles are common is pieces of Chico and though most are round some have been squeezed into an elongated shape. Most of Chico has been distributed into museum and private collections over the decades since its discovery. It is not a meteorite commonly seen for sale.

More Information on Meteoritical Bulletin Database

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