Wandering Star Meteorites
Carancas Meteorites
Official Name: Carancas
Impact Date: September 15, 2007
Location: Carancas, Puno, Peru
Classification: Chonrite H4-5
Shock Level: 3
Weathering Level: 0
TKW: Around 10 Kilos
Basic information:
On September 15th, 2007 a massive fireball entered the atmosphere over Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. The fireball was larger and brighter than the sun and rapidly moved over the lake on the Bolivian side, along the border with Peru. It crossed over the town of Desaguadero, which straddles both countries, and broke many windows as it passed overhead at what must have been supersonic speed! Within a couple of seconds, the meteorite impacted in the village of Carancas, Peru, less than 4 kilometers from Bolivia. When the meteorite impacted the soft, wet soil, it created a large crater measuring over 13.8 meters in diameter and 3 meters deep. Ejecta debris was thrown in all directions up to 150 meters away.
Witnesses described a massive ball of fire which slammed into the ground, creating a mushroom cloud of smoke, steam and dust, and shook the ground like an earthquake. Many windows were broken in the village of Carancas as well. People who arrived at the fall site within minutes of the impact reported that the crater rapidly filled with water, which was boiling and produced a nauseous steam that smelled overwhelmingly of sulfur.
Physical characteristics:
Most specimens are without fusion crust and have a grey color with some metal and chondrules visible, although the chondrules are not easily observed. At least one specimen had two different lithologies, grey and white in color, indicating it is a breccia. Numerous, black shock veins, often on more than one face of a specimen, were observed. At least one large (~2 cm) metal piece was also recovered, with a thin layer of stone attached to it.
Petrography:
(H. Connolly, KCCU, UAz; D. Hill, UAz, D. Schrader, UAz, K. Domanik, UAz, and D. Lauretta, UAz). One polished butt and one thin section, of two different samples, were examined. The polished butt contains some relict chondrules with porphyritic and few barred and radial textures that often have well-defined margins. The thin section shows the rock to have experienced extensive recrystallization of the matrix with few relict chondrules present. Relict chondrules range in size from ~170 µm to 1 mm. Olivine and orthopyroxene were observed with abundant Fe, Ni-metal and Fe-rich sulfide.
Mineral compositions and geochemistry:
Olivine (Fa18.4±0.5) and pyroxene (Fs16.1±0.2). Oxygen isotopes: (R. Greenwood, OU) Two separate analyses d17O = 3.017, 2.942; d18O = 4.519, 4.344; D17O = 0.667, 0.683 (all ‰).
Classification:
Ordinary chondrite (H4-5); W0, S3.
Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 93, MAPS 43, submitted (2008)
Interesting facts about the Carancas Meteorite:
1) Fresh fall, witnessed by hundreds of people with no weathering.
2) Impact registered a 1.5 tremor on seismic equipment and shattered windows in local health center 1 kilometer away.
3) Had a very bad odor that made people sick but it quickly subsided.
4) Fall killed a Llama and a sheep.
5) Debris from impact damaged at least one residence.
Links to a few very informative PDF files on the Carancas impact:
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/1216.pdf
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2027.pdf
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2409.pdf
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2008/pdf/2555.pdf
Here is an outstanding cross polarized view of the Carancas meteorite.
There are several premium quality samples of this meteorite currently available for sale.
All the samples in stock were recovered very soon after the fall by Bob Haag at the location of the impact.
2.55 gram fragment - $180.00 Item# CA-255
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.75 gram fragment with fusion crust - $65.00 Item# CA-075
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.69 gram fragment with fusion crust - $60.00 Item# CA-069
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.64 gram fragment with fusion crust - $55.00 Item# CA-064
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.62 gram fragment - $50.00 Item# CA-062a
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.62 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-062b
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.61 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-061
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.57 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-057
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.56 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-056a
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.56 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-056b
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.55 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-055
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.45 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-045a
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.45 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-045b
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.42 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-042
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust SOLD
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-038b
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-038c
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.36 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-036
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.33 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-033
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1.6 gram vial of fragments and dust - $35.00 Item# CA-16v
All the samples in stock were recovered very soon after the fall by Bob Haag at the location of the impact.
2.55 gram fragment - $180.00 Item# CA-255
________________________________________________________________________________
.75 gram fragment with fusion crust - $65.00 Item# CA-075
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.69 gram fragment with fusion crust - $60.00 Item# CA-069
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.64 gram fragment with fusion crust - $55.00 Item# CA-064
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.62 gram fragment - $50.00 Item# CA-062a
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.62 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-062b
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.61 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-061
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.57 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-057
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.56 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-056a
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.56 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-056b
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.55 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-055
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.45 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-045a
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.45 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-045b
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.42 gram fragment with fusion crust - $50.00 Item# CA-042
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust SOLD
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-038b
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.38 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-038c
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.36 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-036
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.33 gram fragment with fusion crust - $40.00 Item# CA-033
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1.6 gram vial of fragments and dust - $35.00 Item# CA-16v
Here are a few more pictures of the crater created by this incredible meteorites impact with Earth on September 15, 2007 in Carancas, Puno, Peru.
