Iron, medium octahedrite; shocked and recrystallized
Clackamas County, Oregon, USA
Dimensions (height x width x depth): 1.1 x 0.6 x 0.1 in. (2.8 x 1.5 x 0.3 cm)
Weight: 0.02 lbs. (10 g)

This is a beveled partial slice from the world’s most renowned meteorite: the 15.5 ton Willamette meteorite, a crown jewel of New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. A prestigious addition to any collection, the acquisition of a specimen from a centerpiece exhibit at a major museum is virtually unheard of. Found in Oregon, Willamette is the largest North American meteorite. In 1902, Ellis Hughes ‘discovered’ the Willamette on property owned by Oregon Iron & Steel, which sold it to Mrs. William Dodge, who immediately donated it to The American Museum. The Willamette meteorite was the centerpiece of the Hayden Planetarium when it first opened, and an estimated 50 million people have seen or touched this meteorite during its nearly 100 years on exhibition. This rectangular, beveled specimen features Willamette’s signature recrystallized ‘Widmanstätten’ pattern and measures 1.1 x 0.6 x 0.1 in. (height x width x depth) with a weight of 0.02 pounds.