Images Dated 5th March 1998

Fragment of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite

Sikhote-Alin meteorite. Fragment from the Sikhote- Alin meteorite which fell on 12 February 1947 near Novopoltavka in Siberia, Russia. The iron meteor- ite is thought to have originally weighed 200-300 tonnes. It broke up as it fell through the atmos- phere, producing thousands of fragments which created 106 craters & cut down entire trees. Over 25 tonnes of iron were recovered from the impact sites. This fragment weighs 1.806 kilogrammes (kg); the largest fragment weighed 1745 kg. Most meteorites are fragments from asteroids or comets, and they can give valuable information about the composition of the early solar system

© DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY