Vaca Muerta - Chile - Mesosiderite A1

Vaca Muerta is a meteorite from the mesosiderite group. Mesosiderites are iron-rock rocks native to space that are half composed of iron-nickel alloy and half of rock. Vaca Muerta is the Spanish term for "dead cow". The meteorite was named for a nearby dry riverbed in the Atacama Desert of Chile. It was first discovered in 1861, but the location was lost for nearly 100 years. A large number of meteorites have been found over several decades, but finds are not very common at present. Vaca Muerta is one of the most stable and trouble-free mesosiderites. These specimens have been cleaned but have been left in a near natural state.