{"id":4654,"date":"2026-09-01T10:34:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T08:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.minesparis.psl.eu\/musee\/?page_id=4654"},"modified":"2026-09-03T13:45:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:45:23","slug":"meteorite-classification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.minesparis.psl.eu\/musee\/en\/the-museum\/collections-eng\/meteorites\/meteorite-classification\/","title":{"rendered":"Meteorite classification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Meteorites are classified into two distinct groups, depending on the nature of the celestial body from which they originated: primitive meteorites (also called undifferentiated meteorites) and differentiated meteorites.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Primitive meteorites (also called undifferentiated meteorites) originated from a primordial body that retained the original material from which all objects in the Solar System were formed. Grains of silicates and metal are found side by side within them. Chondrites are composed of small, more or less deformed spheres (chondrules) aggregated together. There are four main groups, the two most significant of which are:<\/p>\n
\u2013 \u201cordinary chondrites\u201d<\/strong><\/span>\nThey account for nearly 80% of chondrites and consist mainly of olivine, pyroxene, feldspar, iron, nickel, etc.<\/p>\n \u2013 \u201ccarbonaceous chondrites\u201d<\/strong><\/span>\nThey consist of feldspar and carbonaceous elements, and sometimes contain very little iron.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t \u201cFarmington\u201d meteorite: ordinary L5 meteorite. Close-up photo of the meteorite, showing visible chondrules (ENSMP 1513). \u00a9 Mus\u00e9e de Min\u00e9ralogie Mines Paris \u2013 PSL \/ L\u2019ECOLE des Arts Joailliers \/ Benjamin Chelly.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \nThey originate from a differentiated body, meaning that the celestial body was large enough for its original material to melt and then separate into different layers. The Earth, for example, is a differentiated body with a crust, a mantle, and a core.<\/p>\n \u2013 Achondrites<\/strong><\/span>\nThese are meteorites originating from the surfaces of large asteroids or planets. They resemble Earth\u2019s rocks.<\/p>\n \u2013 Iron meteorites (siderites)<\/strong><\/span>\nThese are fragments of asteroid cores. They consist mainly of iron and nickel.<\/p>\n \u2013 Lithosiderites<\/strong><\/span>\nThese are mixed meteorites composed of iron-rich parts (iron and nickel) and silicates. There are two types of lithosiderites: mesosiderites and pallasites.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t \u201cEsquel\u201d meteorite: a close-up of the pallasite, showing yellow-green olivine crystals in a metallic matrix (ENSMP 76760). \u00a9 Mus\u00e9e de Min\u00e9ralogie Mines Paris \u2013 PSL \/ L\u2019ECOLE des Arts Joailliers \/ Benjamin Chelly.<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDifferentiated meteorites<\/h2>\n
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