Toluca (meteorite)

The meteorite Toluca was discovered in 1776 by Spanish conquistadors in the Toluca Valley ( Xiquipilco, Mexico).

The metal of iron meteorites was used by the Indians living there for centuries for the production of tools. On the wide scatter field have so far several thousand fragments, were collected with a total weight of 2.5 tons. The meteorite shows very distinct Widmanstättensche structures and often contains large inclusions of the mineral troilite.

The Toluca meteorite comes from the asteroid belt and is einklassifiziert as a rough octahedrite Group IA.

Chemical composition: 91 % iron; 8.1% nickel

Mineral discoveries

In the stone Gemengteilen of the Toluca meteorite previously could (as of 2013) a total of 17 minerals and their varieties are discovered, such as, among others Alabandin, chromite, cohenite, Daubréelith, olivine and taenite. For the two minerals Haxonit and Kosmochlor the meteorite is also considered a type locality.