Figure 15-23: R I V U X G
Iron Meteorites (a) The surface of a typical iron is covered with small depressions caused by ablation (removal by melting) during its high-speed descent through the atmosphere. Note the one-cent coin for scale. (b) When cut, polished, and etched with a weak acid solution, most iron meteorites exhibit interlocking crystals in designs called Widmanstätten patterns.
Iron Meteorites (a) The surface of a typical iron is covered with small depressions caused by ablation (removal by melting) during its high-speed descent through the atmosphere. Note the one-cent coin for scale. (b) When cut, polished, and etched with a weak acid solution, most iron meteorites exhibit interlocking crystals in designs called Widmanstätten patterns.
(a: Detlev van Ravenswaay/Science Source; b: The Natural History Museum/Alamy)