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There are two Zacatecas meteorites - read below.
Anne writes:
ZACATECAS 1792, Anomalous Polycrystalline Iron
Only one mass of about 1000kg is known, it was probably found shortly after the conquistadores
reached the area around 1520, and started prospecting for silver. According to an old Mexican story,
the mass was originally made entirely of silver and the finder brought it to his house in order to
chisel a figure of a local saint out of it. However he later change his mind and tried to cut it to sell
some fragments, but then the mass changed into iron, and all attempts to cut it were unsuccessful.
It was found exhibited in a street of Zacatecas in the 1830s, and Burkart managed to separating a
large chunk by drilling many holes in the main mass. It was finally moved to Mexico City in 1890.
(Thanks to Dr V. Buchwald)
ZACATECAS 1969, Medium Octahedrite IIIAB
Only 6.66kg, purchased by a collector in Mexico in 1969 and donated whole to the Smithonian Museum. Obviously a fragment chiseled off a larger mass.
Click to view larger photos #1
Impactika
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Ray Watts 11/16/2012 3:43:57 PM |
Interesting material and nice to hear the history
Thanks for the pictures and info |
Anne Black 11/16/2012 3:02:59 PM |
Yes, Jim, they do look similar, but Toluca is a coarse octahedrite, IAB, when Zacatecas 1792 is an anomalous iron ungrouped, so in fact very different. And Toluca rusts a lot faster than either of the Zacatecas! |
Jim K 11/16/2012 6:56:01 AM |
Nice pieces! The 1792 has a resemblance to Toluca found in Mexico in 1776. |
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