Hungen meteorite, Hungen, Giessen, Giessen Region, Hesse, Germanyi

Regional Level Types
Hungen meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Hungen	Town
Giessen	District
Giessen Region	Region
Hesse	City-State
Germany	Country

Ordinary Chondrite, veined (H6)
Fell, 17 May 1877, 112 g, 2 stones

While on his way to Borsdorf, Herr Scharmann from Steinheim heard thunder on a cloudless day, followed by an assorted medley of swishing and whirring sounds as several stones fell around him. One piece broke a thin branch and fell in front of his feet. After some trembling hesitation he finally touched what turned out to be a cool stone. A few months later Buchner and some colleges recovered another small 26 g stone in the area. The stones were covered with a thin, non-oriented fusion crust which displayed a few flecks of metal. Within the stone dark veins or lamellae were quite apparent as well as some meteoritic iron, troilite, and other opaques. A hand lens revealed chondrules and the microscope revealed olivine crystals. In the past century, very little new appears to have been added to the record for this rather small meteorite. A more precise analysis of the olivine (Fa19) and textures has allowed a more precise identification of the Hungen meteorite as an H6 ordinary chondrite (high-iron group).

Hungen is one of 14 ordinary H-chondrites recovered in Germany including 11 falls. Half of the original mass has remained with Giessen University for many decades.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References