The Largest Meteorite Ever Found in the United States

The Willamette Meteorite is the largest meteorite found in North America and the sixth largest in the world.

The Willamette Meteorite weighs 15.5 tons. This iron meteorite, which was found in Oregon. 

The Willamette Meteorite was discovered in 1902 by Ellis Hughes on a farm near Estacada, Oregon. It was originally named "Willamette" after the nearby Willamette River. The Clackamas Chinook Native American tribe, who lived in the area before the arrival of European settlers, had a long tradition of reverence for the meteorite, which they called "Tomanowos." According to Clackamas legend, Tomanowos was a powerful spirit that had come to Earth from the sky. It was said that Tomanowos could heal the sick and bring good luck to those who were kind to it.

There was no impact crater at the discovery site; researchers believe the meteorite landed in what is now Canada or Montana, and was transported as a glacial erratic to the Willamette Valley during the Missoula Floods at the end of the last Ice Age (~13,000 years ago).

 

The Willamette Meteorite is the largest meteorite found in North America
The Largest Meteorite Ever Found in the United States. The Willamette Meteorite on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.


In 1906, the Willamette Meteorite was purchased by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It has been on display at the museum ever since, and is one of the most popular exhibits. The meteorite is a valuable scientific specimen, and has been studied by scientists from around the world. It has helped scientists learn more about the formation of the solar system and the history of meteorites.

Having been seen by an estimated 40 million people over the years, and given its striking appearance, it is among the most famous meteorites known.

It is an iron-nickel meteorite, and weighs about 34,200 pounds (15,500 kg). It is classified as a type III iron meteorite, being composed of over 91% iron and 7.62% nickel, with traces of cobalt and phosphorus. The approximate dimensions of the meteorite are 10 feet (3 m) tall by 6.5 feet (2 m) wide by 4.25 feet (1.3 m). 

The Willamette Meteorite contains higher concentrations of various metals that are quite rare in Earth's crust. For example, Iridium, one of the least abundant elements in Earth's crust, is found in the Willamette Meteorite at a concentration of 4.7 ppm, thousands of times more than its crustal abundance.


The Largest Meteorite Ever Found in the United States
The Willamette Meteorite in 1911, a few years after it was found.


The Willamette Meteorite
The Willamette Meteorite in 1918


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