Sikhote-Alin Meteorites

Fall Recorded: 1947
Location: Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Primorye, Russia
Strewnfield: 1.3 km ellipse

Sikhote-Alin Meteorite (also spelled Sikhotae-Alin)

The Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall was a massive impact event that occurred on February 12, 1947, approximately 440 km northeast of Vladivostok, Russia.

Fall

At around 10:30 am on February 12, 1947, eyewitnesses in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Primorye, Russia, observed a fireball brighter than the sun that came out of the north and descended at an angle of about 41 degrees. The bright flash and the deafening sound of the fall were observed for three hundred kilometers around the point of impact near the village of Paseka (approximately 440 km northeast of Vladivostok). A smoke train, estimated at 32 km long, remained in the sky for several hours. As the meteorite entered the atmosphere, traveling at a speed of about 14 km/s, it began to break apart, and the fragments fell together. At an altitude of about 5.6 km, the largest mass apparently broke up in a violent explosion. The strewn field for this meteorite covered an elliptical area of about 1.3 km. Some of the fragments made craters, the largest of which was about 26 m across and 6 m deep. Fragments of the meteorite were also driven into the surrounding trees.

Description

Specimens of the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite are basically of two types;

1. Individuals

Individuals are meteorite specimens showing fusion crust and signs of ablation. These first probably broke off of the main object early in the descent. These pieces are characterized by regmaglypts (cavities resembling thumb prints) in the surface of each specimen.

(Ablation is defined as the removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes. The term occurs in space physics associated with atmospheric reentry)

2. Shrapnel

Shrapnels are meteorite specimens showing evidence of violent fragmentation. The second type is fragments which were either torn apart in the atmosphere during the descent or blasted apart upon impact. Most were probably the result of the explosion at 5.6 km altitude.

Size

Sikhote-Alin is a massive fall. The overall size has been estimated at just under 900,000 kg. A large specimen is on display in Moscow, and a great number of smaller specimens have made their way into private collections.

Structure and chemical composition

The Sikhote-Alin meteorite is classified as a coarse octahedrite type IIB. It is composed of approximately 93% iron, 5.9% nickel, 0.42% cobalt, 0.46% phosphorus, and 0.28% sulfur, with trace amounts of germanium and iridium. Minerals present include taenite, plessite, rhabites, troilite, chromite, kamacite, and schreibersite. Sikhote-Alin displays a beautiful pattern of Widmanstatten lines when sliced and etched. It is the amount of nickel relative to the amount of iron present that creates this crystalline pattern. This pattern is only present in etched meteorites and is one way of determining the authenticity of a suspected meteorite find.

Iron meteorites are extremely rare. Of all of the meteorites that fall on the earth, scientists estimate that only about five percent are Iron Meteorites.

Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite
Item # MSA06119026

Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 62.5g Iron Meteorite

$136.00

Sold

62.5 grams of "Out of This World" Sikhote-Alin shrapnel meteorite

A 62.5 gram natural (just as it was found) Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel Meteorite measuring 40mm x 32.4mm x 16.6mm Nice orientation, flow and some rollover visible on this specimen. This meteorite is natural, un-cut and un-polished with no coatings.

Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite
Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite
Item # MSA12135675 S

Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 87.5g Iron Meteorite

$184.00

Sold

87.5 grams of "Out of This World" Sikhote-Alin shrapnel meteorite An 87.5 gram natural (just as it was found) Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel Meteorite measuring 40mm x 32.4mm x 16.6mm

Nice orientation, flow and some rollover visible on this specimen. This meteorite is natural, un-cut and un-polished with no coatings.

Meteorite_44
Meteorite_43
Meteorite_16
Meteorite_17
Meteorite_18
Meteorite_20
Meteorite_21
Meteorite_44 Meteorite_43 Meteorite_16 Meteorite_17 Meteorite_18 Meteorite_20 Meteorite_21
Item # 2MSA022200913

Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel 357g Iron Meteorite

$1600.00

357 grams of "Out of This World" Sikhote-Alin shrapnel meteorite. This Amazing Sikhote-Alin Shrapnel Meteorite has an exceptionally stunning appearance and has been the centerpiece of our Personal Collection Iron Meteorite Display for more than fifteen years. We have not seen another shrapnel piece anywhere near as exciting as this pristine specimen. It weighs over 3/4 of a pound!

It weighs 12.58 oz or 0.788 lb (357g) and  measures 3.54 x 2.6 x 1.25 inches (9 x 6.6 x 3.1cm)

Nice orientation, flow and some rollover visible on this specimen.

Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints
Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints
Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints
Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints
Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints
Item # MSA12133949

Sikhote-Alin Individual 82g with thumb prints

$224.00

Sold

Sikhote-Alin nickel-iron meteorite from Russia. Iron Coarsest Octahedrite. It measures 44.6 x 27.9 x 21.2mm and weighs 82g . This nicely shaped specimen is a complete individual. The surface is covered with the smoothly formed small regmaglypts most often sought by collectors. Some of the surface of the specimen is more coarsely textured, while still showing many rounded impressions. This specimen has not been cleaned. The condition is natural and untouched, just the way it was found

Meteorite_52
Meteorite_53
Meteorite_51
Meteorite_54
Meteorite_49
Meteorite_52 Meteorite_53 Meteorite_51 Meteorite_54 Meteorite_49
Item # 3MSA02226509

Sikhote-Alin Individual 65.5g with thumb prints

$495.00

Sold

Sikhote-Alin nickel-iron meteorite from Russia. Iron Coarsest Octahedrite. It measures 46 x 34.5 x 21.6mm and weighs 65.5g . This excellent, nicely shaped specimen is a complete individual. The surface is covered with the smoothly formed small regmaglypts most often sought by collectors. Is has many perfect "Thumb Print" impressions. The reverse of this very fine specimen shows flow lines in two different directions.  This is a pristine specimen that has been in our personal collection for decades.

Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300
Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300
Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300
Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300 Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300 Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300
Item # MSA02226884

Sikhote-Alin Sixty Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300

$149.00

Sikhote-Alin 60 Year Anniversary Commemorative Coin No 129 of 300

2" Zinc Alloy with Antique Silver Finish, this coin set was limited to a run of only 300.

Sikhote-Alin is one of the centerpieces in every collection. Having one of these coins displayed next to your meteorite specimen will add eye appeal, class and a sense of history to your collection.

The front of the coin bears the face of E.L. Krinov, the scientist who brought this meteorite to the world’s attention and mapped out the entire fall pattern area. (In the background is his diagram of the main mass breakup and fall pattern.)

The reverse shows the now famous painting by the artist named Medvedev, created from memory only moments after the fall. Inset on this side is a small piece of the Sikhote-Alin Meteorite.

This is a true collector piece which will become more valuable with the passage of time. It has been in our Personal Collection Sikhote-Alin Meteorite Display since 2007

This coin comes in a vinyl case (as seen in the left photo) and was removed with gloved hand only for the photographs