Australite is a special Australian tektite

Asteroid or comet impact

Australites are a special type of tektite found in southern Australia. They are usually smaller than other tektites and are characterized by their shape. The Australian scatterfield has an age of 610,000 to 750,000 years and is the result of an asteroid or comet impact in Indochina

Shape of Australia

The meteorite impact threw a large amount of small molten rocks into the atmosphere. Upon their return to Earth, they traveled at a very high speed, taking on a streamlined and aerodynamic shape. The most common shapes are spheres, ovals, dumbbells and tears. A very typical and rare form is the 'shallow bowl' which does not occur in any other tektite.

staring eyes

The Indigenous Australians called australites “ooga” which means “staring eyes”. They were used as sacred objects or cutting tools. Europeans discovered the existence of the Australites in 1857 when explorer Thomas Mitchell gave Charles Darwin a mysteriously shaped piece of natural black glass. Darwin initially thought it was of volcanic origin.

magnifying glass

This Australian comes in a magnifying glass box of 2.5 x 2.5 x 2 cm