228 SOLAR SYSTEM/Meteorites Meteorites G J H McCall, Cirencester, Gloucester, UK ß 2005, Elsevier Ltd All Rights Reserved Introduction Meteorites are bodies of metal or stony material mixed with metal which fall to Earth in sporadic and random arrival events, characterized by entry of a fireball or bolide streaking, often with punctuated explosive bursts, through the sky on their frictional passage through the Earth’s atmosphere (Figure 1) The history of the gradual scientific acceptance of the reality of such events is followed by a brief description of the classification of various types of meteorite; the four age and time interval measurements significant for any meteorite; and the known or likely provenance in the bodies of the Solar System of the various types are then considered After a brief mention of impact cratering and tektites, and also ‘fossil’ meteorites enclosed in ancient rocks, an account is given of Figure A painting by P.V Medvedev of the fireball accom panying the Sikhot Alin fall of 1949 (reproduced from McCall 1973) the revolution in ‘Meteoritics’ (essentially an extension of geology, geochemistry, metallurgy, and physics into the realms of astronomy and planetology) during the latter half of the twentieth century This is a result of space exploration and the recognition of hitherto unknown optimum collection regions (icebound Antarctica; the Nullarbor Plain, Australia; and other desert regions) Examples of some extensions of research into meteoritics in modern state-of-the-art science are listed Historical: the Fall of Stones and Metal from the Sky Records of shooting stars, bright objects seen to dart across the night sky, go back to Egyptian papyrus writings of ca 2000 bc and records of actual meteorites falling to Earth out of the sky go back almost as far – the fall of a black stone in the form of a cone, circular below and ending in an apex above, was reported in Phrygia about 652 bc, the familiar image of a stony meteorite such as the Middlesborough Meteorite (Figure 2) coming to us from the distant past The Parian chronicle records falls of stones in Crete in 1478 bc and in 1168 bc of iron In 618 bc, a fall of stones is reported to have broken Figure The Middlesborough, England, stone (fell 1881) show ing the dark fusion crust and anterior surface in flight, the apex of the cone being in the direction of flight and the radiating flutings being produced by atmospheric ablation (from McCall 1973)