Sericho Pallasite Meteorite Slice

Formed 4.6 billion years ago
"Discovered" 2016
Origin: Kenya

Pallasites are a rare type of meteorite, with the metallic portions made of iron-nickel and the green or sometimes orange/yellow crystal portions of olivine (peridot) coming from mantle and core material released by violent collisions during the early formation of our solar system.

Fewer than a hundred pallasite meteorites are known to date. This slice comes from the Sericho meteorite in Kenya, first recorded in 2016 but likely known to locals for generations prior.

Pallasites are named after the German naturalist Peter Pallas (1741–1811). A large Siberian pallasite described by Pallas in the 1776 helped demonstrate the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites, as it was so dissimilar to other rocks in the region, but was similar in composition to finds elsewhere in the world.