Springwater, Saskatchewan

"Mosaic from Space"

 

A pallasite is a beautiful meteorite with yellow-green silicate (oviline) crystals embedded in nickel-iron. They are very rare. Only 3 have been found in Canada. They are a mixture of core (metal) and mantle material from a shattered asteroid.

 

Three large masses totalling 67kg were found in a farmers field near Biggar, Saskatchewan in 1931. They were purchased by famed American meteorite hunter/dealer H. H. Nininger. Many of these ended up in museums around the world, including a 20 kg specimen in London's Natural History Museum.

 

In 2009, meteorite hunters returned to the site and other pieces including a mass of 52 kg was found. This piece was acquired by the ROM in Toronto.

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The Springwater is about 4.5 billion years old !

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U of Alberta specimen

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