Aletai Meteorite – Tall Textured Iron Meteorite Specimen

This 54-gram Aletai meteorite is an especially distinctive individual specimen, rising into a tall, irregular form with a broad base and tapering upper section. Its exposed surfaces reveal an intricate combination of bright metallic areas, darker recessed structures and strongly contrasting textures. The unusual upright shape gives this piece a sculptural presence, while the varied natural surfaces reward examination from different angles.

Specimen Details

✓ Meteorite Type: Anomalous IIIE Iron Meteorite (Coarse Octahedrite)
✓ Composition: Kamacite, Taenite & Plessite, with elevated Cobalt, Gold & Iridium
✓ Accessory Minerals: Schreibersite, Troilite, Cohenite, Haxonite & Daubréelite
✓ Strewn Field: More than 430 km — the largest recorded on Earth
✓ Total Recovered Mass: More than 74 tonnes
✓ Fall Location: Northern Xinjiang, Altay Prefecture, China
✓ First Identified: 1898, originally catalogued as Armanty
✓ Formal Name: Aletai, adopted in 2016
✓ Specimen Size: ≈28mm wide × 15mm deep × 38mm high
✓ Weight: 54g

The History of the Aletai Meteorite

The Aletai meteorite is one of the most remarkable iron meteorites known, particularly because of the enormous strewn field created by its fall. Fragments have been recovered across more than 430 kilometres of northern Xinjiang, China, making the Aletai strewn field exceptionally extensive.

The meteorite was first recognised in 1898, when material was catalogued under the name Armanty. Other fragments were subsequently recovered from different locations and given separate names, including Xinjiang and Ulasitai. Later scientific investigation established that these apparently separate finds belonged to the same extraordinary meteorite event. The meteorite was formally named Aletai in 2016, after the Altay region where it was discovered.

Aletai is classified as an anomalous IIIE iron meteorite and coarse octahedrite. Its metallic structure contains kamacite, taenite and plessite, together with minerals including schreibersite and troilite. Its unusual chemical composition, including elevated concentrations of cobalt, gold and iridium, makes Aletai particularly interesting to meteorite researchers and collectors. With more than 74 tonnes of material recovered, it represents an exceptionally significant meteorite fall.

A Distinctive Aletai for Your Collection

With its tall, sculptural silhouette and richly varied metallic surface, this 24-gram Aletai is a specimen that stands apart from ordinary fragments. Add this remarkable piece of one of Earth's most extraordinary meteorite strewn fields to your collection and enjoy a specimen with genuine visual character from every angle.