Henbury Meteorites

(Ordinary Iron Nickel Medium Octahedrite IIIAB)

Photographed by Michael P. Klimetz

Photographed by Michael P. Klimetz

The Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve contains several craters which were formed when a meteor hit the earth’s surface 4,700 years ago. It is believed the Henbury Meteor, perhaps weighing several tons and traveling at an estimated 40,000 kilometers per hour, disintegrated before impact. The shattered fragments impacted the Earth's surface and formed twelve to fourteen craters ranging from 7 to 180 meters in diameter and up to 15 meters in depth. The scattered fragments of the Henbury Meteorite consist mainly of iron (90%) and nickel (8%). Over 500 kilograms of have hence been discovered. The Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia. The reserve is located 145 kilometers southwest of Alice Springs. Henbury is one of five meteorite impact sites in Australia associated with actual meteorite fragments and one of the world's best preserved examples of a small crater field.