Meteorite Name: CAMPO DEL CIELO
Class: Iron Meteorite IAB, Og,
coarse Octahedrite 3.0 +/- 0.6 mm
TKW: 10,000 kg +
Country: Argentina
Date: Find: 1576

The Campo del Cielo meteorite was first recorded in 1576. A Spanish govenor learned from the Indians of big pieces of iron that had fallen from the sky. An expedition under the command of Captain de Miraval brought back a few pieces of a huge iron mass which he called 'Table of Iron' = Meso de Fierro. The location of the find had the name 'Field of the Heaven' = Campo del Cieleo, a fitting name for a meteorite fall. Campo del Cielo is located approx. 500 miles north-northwest of Buenos Aires. It is assumed that the meteorite fell approx. 4,000 to 6,000 years ago.

The Campo del Cielo is described as a polycrystalline coarse octahedrite. At 3 mm the Widmanstatten bands are thicker than those at Canyon Diablo or Odessa, but still thin enough to have the same coarse octahedrite classification.

Chemistry of the Campo:

classified in Group I, , 6.68% Ni, 0.43% Co, 0.25% P, 87 ppm Ga, 407 ppm Ge, 3.6 ppm Ir. Of course, almost all of the remaining portion of the meteorite is iron. The important minerals are: · Kamacite--this iron nickel alloy makes about 90 percent of specimens in finger size and width crystals. Neumann bands are common. · Taenite and plessite, the other iron-nickel alloy constituents are found at grain boundaries. · Schreibersite is uncommon. · Troilite is found aggregates with graphite and silicates.