Kyushu meteorite, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japani

Regional Level Types
Kyushu meteorite	Meteorite Fall Location
Kagoshima Prefecture	Prefecture
Japan	Country

Ordinary chondrite, veined (L6; S5)
Fell, 26 October 1886; 45 kg, shower

During the afternoon a shower of meteoritic stones fell in the Satsuma and Osumi provinces on Japan's Kyushu Island. The mass of the largest stone was 29 kg with several smaller and even tiny stones recovered at the same time. Some stones were covered with a dark fusion crust and the interiors are greyish in color. Olivine and pyroxene are dominant both as olivine and pyroxene-rich chondrules (0.5-1 mm diameter) and within the silicate-rich matrix. Fe-Ni metal (predominantly kamacite), troilite, and maskelynite are the primary minor phases. Plagioclase is present in minor amounts both as pre-shock relics and as devitrified glass. Within the metal, plessite and martensite provide additional evidence of severe preterrestrial shock(s). Very minor amounts of chromite and diopside are also reported. Total iron (~22 wt%) and the compositions of olivine (Fo74) and orthopyroxene (En 78) are characteristic of the L (low in iron) ordinary chondrite group.

A rather low K-Ar age (0.73 Ga) provides additional evidence of possible impact events affecting this highly shocked meteorite. Indeed, the ~40 Ma cosmic ray exposure age of Kyushu and several other L6 chondrites may indicate a shared collisional history for these meteorites.

The largest stone was obtained by the Natural History Museum in London. A 3.6 kg mass retained by the Science Museum in Tokyo (as of 2000) is the largest of several additional masses held elsewhere. The meteorite has been listed under a much larger number of synonyms than is usually the case.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References