Aletai Meteorite – 42g Sculptural Iron Meteorite Specimen

This 42-gram Aletai meteorite is a highly distinctive specimen with a broad, low-profile form rising into a pronounced sculptural ridge. Its surface displays an exceptional variety of natural metallic textures, from relatively smooth areas to deeply recessed and heavily textured sections. The contrasting relief gives the specimen an almost landscape-like appearance, with something new to discover from every angle.

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: ≈38mm wide × 22mm deep × 23mm high
✓ Weight: 42g

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 one of the most extensive known meteorite strewn fields on Earth.

The meteorite was first identified in 1898, when material was catalogued under the name Armanty. Additional fragments were later recovered from different locations and were initially given separate names, including Xinjiang and Ulasitai. Scientific work eventually demonstrated that these 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 accessory minerals including schreibersite and troilite. Its unusual chemical characteristics, including elevated concentrations of cobalt, gold and iridium, make Aletai particularly interesting to researchers and collectors. With more than 74 tonnes of material recovered, it represents an exceptionally significant meteorite fall.

A Sculptural Piece of the Aletai Fall

The unusual shape and richly textured surfaces make this 42-gram Aletai particularly rewarding to display. If you appreciate meteorites as both scientific specimens and natural works of art, this is a piece with the presence to become a standout part of your collection.