Complete Slice of a Brahin Meteorite

AN OTHERWORLDLY METEORITE FROM A NOW FORBIDDEN IMPACT SITE

Brahin pallasites were first discovered in what is now Belarus in 1810. Extremely rare, pallasites represent less than 0.2% of all known meteorites and are widely considered to be the most beautiful extraterrestrial substance known. Like the vast majority of pallasitic meteorites, Brahin originated from the mantle-core boundary of an asteroid that broke apart during the early history of our solar system. The term "pallasite" is named in honor of German scientist and polymath Peter Pallas, who was the first person to scientifically analyze a pallasitic mass – the meteorite Krasnojarsk – originally found in Siberia in 1749.

Both sides of this polished slice of Brahin reveal a mosaic of sparkling olivine and peridot (gem-quality olivine) crystals from the asteroid's mantle, suspended in a gleaming iron-nickel matrix originating from the asteroid's core. The search for additional specimens from the Brahin event is restricted as the Chernobyl nuclear reactor was built extremely close to Brahin's impact site and its strewn field is now off limits. Recovered long before the Chernobyl disaster, this exemplary specimen reveals the striking interior of a pallasite, a particularly beguiling extraterrestrial substance.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Brahin