Almost all meteorites come from the asteroid belts between Mars and Jupiter, but there are a few exceptions, which are mainly meteorites from Mars and the Moon. Meteorites are divided into several groups related to the origin of the meteorite and its composition. The basic ones include:Rock meteorites - these are further subdivided into chondrites, formed by the accumulation of cosmic "dust" that has gradually accumulated over billions of years.
Such a meteorite can measure hundreds of metres across. Inside, you'll see balls of dust particles called chondrules. A very interesting subgroup are the rare carbonaceous chondrites, which contain water and a number of organic compounds and are often suggested as possible sources of life on our planet. Chondrites usually have a very nice black crust after passing through the Earth's atmosphere.
Among the most famous ones are the Chelyabinsk meteorite, the Allende meteorite or the Aguas Zarcas meteorite, which is one of the few that contain the basic building blocks of life.The second group of stony meteorites are achondrites, which come from planets or asteroids. This means, for example, from the Moon, Mars and often also from the asteroid Vesta (the second heaviest asteroid in the Solar System) or from long extinct planets.
These include the fascinating ERCH CHECH 002, NWA 7831 and Hassi Messaoud 001.Iron meteorites (siderites) - most of them come from the very core of ancient, no longer existing planets, destroyed in major collisions, often billions of years ago. They are composed of iron, nickel and other, often precious metals. Muonionalusta, Campo del Cielo, Canyon Diablo, for example, are well known.
These meteorites contain beautiful Widmanstätten patterns, by which the authenticity of the meteorite can be unambiguously determined.Pallasites (iron-stone meteorites) are the rarest category of meteorites, and are usually material that formed at the interface between the core and the envelope of asteroids during their destruction or during a large impact.
They are mainly composed of iron and olivine, which gives them a unique appearance and makes them one of the most beautiful and sought-after meteorites. Just under 1% of all meteorites belong to the pallasite category. Among the most beautiful are Fukang, Imilac and Esquel.