octahedrite
The commonest type of iron meteorite.
Octahedrites are composed mainly of the nickel-iron
minerals taenite and kamacite
and are named for the octahedral (eight-sided) shape of the kamacite crystals.
When sliced, etched with a weak acid, and polished, octahedrites show a
characteristic Widmanstätten pattern.
Triangular-shaped gaps between larger kamacite and taenite crystals are
often filled by a fine-grained mixture of kamacite and taenite called plessite
(from the Greek word for "filling"). Classification of octahedrites is based
on the width of the kamacite lamellae and each subgroup corresponds to a
particular chemical group of iron meteorites.
Related
category
• METEORS
AND METEORITES
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