0.6" CV3 Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorite Specimen CAIS Display

Location: Morocco

Weight: 1.2 Ounces (With Display)

Dimensions: 3.3 Inches Long, 2.3 Inches Wide, 1 Inch Thick (Display)

Meteorite Dimensions: 0.6 Inches Long, 0.5 Inches Wide, 0.2 Inches Thick

Comes with a Free Display.

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

CV3 Carbonaceous Chondrites are a highly significant class of meteorites, notable for their primitive and largely unaltered nature. The designation “CV” comes from the Vigarano meteorite, a key example of this group, while the “3” indicates a petrologic type that has undergone minimal thermal metamorphism or aqueous alteration, preserving its original composition.

These meteorites are typically dark-colored and friable, rich in carbon, volatile elements, and water-bearing minerals. A hallmark of CV3 chondrites is the abundance of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), some of the oldest known solids in the solar system, predating the formation of chondrules. Chondrules—spherical silicate melt droplets—are also present, with varying textures and compositions.

CV3 chondrites are further notable for containing organic compounds, including amino acids, as well as presolar grains, microscopic particles formed in stellar environments before the Sun. The iron content can exist in different oxidation states, resulting in sub-classifications into oxidized and reduced groups, each with distinct mineralogical and chemical characteristics.