FMNH Collection Data:
Classification: Achondrite, angrite
Specimen number: FMNH ME 3283
Specimen mass: 108.53 gram
The D’Orbigny meteorite was found in July of 1979 when a farmer near Buenos Aires, Argentina hit the meteorite with his plow. The meteorite had a total mass of 16.55 kg and was nearly completely covered with fusion crust. When sectioned, the inside of the meteorite displayed zoned olivine, with some olivine crystals being as large as a centimeter and round vugs, a very unusual feature for a meteorite. The D’Orbigny meteorite is classified as an angrite, a rare type of basaltic achondrite.
Image/animation: © 2011 The Field Museum.
Sources: Meteoritical Bulletin Database and Grady, M. M., Catalogue of Meteorites, 5th edition.