What Is a Pallasite Meteorite? Olivine Crystals and Space Metal
A pallasite meteorite brings two very different materials together: silicate minerals and metal. It is a striking reminder that minerals are found beyond Earth. A pallasite meteorite displayed in Greensburg, Kansas; this is not the Imilac specimen discussed below. Photo: Michael Adams, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons . Image unchanged. What is inside a pallasite? Pallasites contain iron-nickel metal and the mineral olivine. Some olivine crystals look yellow-green. In a thin cut slice, light can pass through suitable crystals while the surrounding metal stays opaque. Where did they come from? These meteorites formed inside early asteroid bodies. As some bodies heated and melted, heavier metal moved toward the center while rocky material formed outer layers. Pallasites help scientists study the mixing of these materials. Is the story only about a core boundary? No. An older explanation placed their formation near the boundary between an asteroid's metal core and rocky mantle. Re...