Classification: TBD Chondrite TRX1

Observed fall: No
Year found:
City, Country: NWA
Mass: 143 g

In collection

Weight #1 : 143 g

Certificate of authenticity: Yes (1)

As a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere at high velocity, intense frictional heating and ablation sculpt its outer surface. Initially, the object may tumble, but it often settles into a stable flight orientation that minimizes drag and mechanical stress. In this stable configuration, the portion of the meteorite facing the airflow experiences the most intense heating and erosion. As molten material on the leading face is removed by the rushing air, small-scale variations in mineral composition, surface irregularities, and local differences in melting rates produce characteristic “thumbprint-like” indentations known as regmaglypts. These regmaglypts are not random; they reflect complex interactions between turbulent airflow, thermal gradients, and the molten layer’s viscosity at the meteorite’s surface. The rearward regions, shielded from direct airflow, generally ablate less, leaving a more subdued texture. Over time, this interplay of melting, erosion, and re-solidification under a stable flight orientation fashions the meteorite’s final shape, preserving clues to its fiery passage through the atmosphere.