Type Stony–iron Country Chile | Class Pallasite | |
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Group Main Group Pallasite (MGP) Composition 90% Fe, 9.9% Ni, 21.1 ppm Ga, 46.0 ppm Ge, 0.071 ppm Ir Region Atacama Desert, Atacama Region | ||
Imilac is a pallasite meteorite found in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile in 1822.
Contents
Classification
Imilac is classified as a stony–iron pallasite. Imilac specimens are highly prized by meteorite collectors due to its high concentration of beautiful olivine grains.
Strewn field
Numerous masses were found in a valley to the SW of Imilac. The total weight of the Imilac fall is estimated to be around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). The primary strewn field is long about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi).
Specimens
Due to weathering, intact olivine grains are present only on large specimens (over 1 kilogram (2.2 lb)). Smaller samples contain darker altered olivine cristals. On the market there are also a lot of very small (few grams) Imilac individuals called metal skeletons: they are severely weathered and lack olivine grains.