Brahin (meteorite)

Meteorite
Name= Brahin


Image_caption= A small Brahin slice
Image_width=
Type= Stony-iron
Class= Pallasite
Group= Main Group Pallasite
Structural_classification= Medium octahedrite
Composition= 37.18 wt% olivine metal: 91% Fe, 8.38% Ni crystals 36.5 % SiO₂; 13.7 % FeO; 43.2 % MgO; 0.3 % MnO; 3.82 % P₂O₅
Shock=
Weathering=
Country= Bielorussia
Region= Gomel
Lat_Long= coord|52|30|N|30|20|E|display=inline,title [http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/metbull.php?code=5130 Meteoritical Bulletin Database: "Brahin"] ]
Observed_fall= No
Fall_date=
Found_date= 1807
TKW= >1050 kg


Image2_caption=

Brahin is a meteorite pallasite found in 1807.This is the second meteorite ever found in RussiaLaboratory of Meteoritics, Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry: [http://www.geokhi.ru/~meteorit/opis/brahin-e.html "Brahin"] ] .Sometimes it is also called Bragin or Bragim.It is quite common among collectors due the affordable price of small partial slices.

History

In 1807 two masses of 80 kg and 20 kg were found by farmers of Kaporenki, a village in the district of Bragin. The meteorites were sent to scientists by the administrator of the district: Graf Rakitsky, State Advisor and Ex Honorio Inspector of The Schools Of Rechitsky Uezd. Since 1807 several masses were recovered from the site.

During World War II, samples of Brahin were stolen in Kiev by German soldiers and some samples disappeared also in Minsk.

In 2002 a single mass of 227 kg was found at a deep of 3 meters at the northern end of Brahin strewnfieldMetBase 7.0 for Windows. Joern Koblitz, The MetBase Library of Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences] .

Composition and classification

Brahin is a Main Group pallasite, with angular shaped olivine embedded in an iron-nickel matrix. Olivine crystals rapresent about 37% of the weight of the meteorite.

Pallasites are not commons, they compose only 1.8 % of all known meteorites. It has been proposed that pallasites represents the interface between the stone mantle and the metal core of differentiated asteroids.

trewn field

Meteorites were found in a zone about 15 km long and 3km wide crossed by the Dnieper River.

The area was contaminated in 1986 during the Chernobyl disaster and falls now in the . Post-accident recovered meteorites are safe and not contaminated because the radiation affects only the first few inches of soil, nevertheless meteorite hunting in the area is not entirely safe.

The official total known weight is 1050 kg, but it is probably underestimated.

Notes

See also

* Meteorite
* Pallasite

External links

* [http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/metbull.php Meteoritical Bulletin Database]