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Krasnojarsk (Yeniseisk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia) Pallasite (stony-iron) Found 1749

Well, you don't see this one offered very often, that much is certain! A large mass of Krasnojarsk was found in 1749 about 145 miles south of Krasnoyarsk, between the Ubei and Sisim rivers. This unusual stone was studied by German naturalist Peter S. Pallas in 1772 who recognised its olivine and nickel-iron composition and later described it in his journals. In recognition of his research, the Pallas name was passed on to this type of stony-iron and the Pallasite class of meteorite was born.

Apart from being the original pallasite and something of a landmark in meteoritical history, Krasnojarsk also received a great amount of attention from a German scientist named Ernest Chladni. In 1794, Chladni published a 63 page book titled "On the Origin of Iron Discovered by Pallas and Others Similar to it, and on Some Natural Phenomenon Related to Them" - quite a title! Here, Chladni confidently concluded that rocks which fall from the skies are celestial bodies (meteorites) - a bold conclusion, but the result of much investigation into reports of fireballs and strange falling rocks that had been made by people over many centuries, and most importantly their peculiar similarities.

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