Nantan iron meteorite from China

The Nantan iron meteorite from China

Meteorite of the dancing dragons

The Nantan meteorite was discovered in 1958, but is believed to have fallen as early as 1516. Writings from that time have been found showing that during that period "stars came from heaven, dancing like dragons, as light as lightning."

Almost lost

During the great leap forward in China, there was a diligent search for iron for the growing industry. In 1958, the Nantan meteorite was encountered and an attempt was immediately made to melt it. Fortunately, this did not work because of the high nickel content, so the meteorite was spared.

Nantan in China

The Nantan meteorite is named after the nearby town of Nantan in China. Because it took many centuries before the Nantan meteorite was recognized as such, most pieces have started to rust considerably. It is therefore advisable to keep this meteorite in an airtight box.