description Sikhote-Alin Overview
A brilliant daylight fireball over the Russian Far East on 12 February 1947 marked the fall of Sikhote-Alin, a IIAB iron meteorite. It broke apart above the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, scattering many tonnes of metal across a large strewn field and producing numerous impact pits. Eyewitness accounts, photographs and extensive recovery work give this fall a documented connection between an observed atmospheric event and the specimens collected afterward. Its fragments show two notably different appearances.
Individual masses shaped during atmospheric flight can have rounded contours and sculpted depressions caused by ablation, the removal of material by intense heating. Other pieces are jagged shrapnel produced by violent fragmentation. That contrast makes Sikhote-Alin particularly useful for comparing the effects of passage through the atmosphere with the later breaking of an iron meteorite into sharp, irregular pieces.
help Sikhote-Alin FAQ
What happened during the Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall?
On February 12, 1947, a large iron meteoroid broke apart over the Sikhote-Alin mountains in the Russian Far East. Witnesses saw a brilliant fireball, and the fragmentation produced numerous impact pits and scattered iron masses.
Why do Sikhote-Alin specimens have two different appearances?
Some pieces separated high in the atmosphere and developed rounded surfaces with deep thumbprint-like regmaglypts. Others were torn apart nearer the ground, leaving sharp-edged shrapnel fragments.
What type of meteorite is Sikhote-Alin?
Sikhote-Alin is classified as a IIAB iron meteorite. Its metallic composition allowed many fragments to survive atmospheric entry despite the violent breakup.
Was the Sikhote-Alin fall witnessed by people?
Yes, it was one of the largest well-documented witnessed meteorite falls. Artist P. I. Medvedev even painted the smoke trail after observing the event, and that image later appeared on a Soviet commemorative stamp.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
