Meteorite Nantan – Guangxi, China

The Nantan meteorite is an important iron meteorite, whose fall was probably recorded in 1516 in Guangxi Province, China. Despite historical sightings, it went unnoticed for a long time and was not officially discovered until 1958. It belongs to the IAB group of iron meteorites, which means that it contains a high proportion of iron, nickel and other trace elements.

Although it fell as early as the 16th century, its collection did not begin until the 20th century. This was due to local superstitions and technical limitations - the locals considered meteorites sacred and often left them untouched.

During the fall, the meteorite disintegrated into thousands of fragments scattered over an area of approximately 28 kilometres. The size of the individual pieces ranged from tiny particles weighing 10 grams to massive blocks weighing up to 2,000 kilograms. The total weight of the fragments found is estimated at 9.5 tonnes.

Because of their high iron content, Nantan meteorites are easily corroded, making them difficult to preserve for the long term.