Meteorite Tsarev – Volgograd, Russia

The Tsarev meteorite probably fell to Earth at 7 a.m. on December 6, 1922, near the village of Tsarev in the Volgograd region of Russia. However, this date is not entirely certain because the fall was not directly observed. The first fragments of the meteorite were not found until 1968, and the meteorite was not officially identified until 1979.

Characteristics

• Type of meteorite: The Tsarev meteorite is classified as a common L5 type chondrite, which means that it contains lower amounts of iron compared to other chondrites.
• Composition: The meteorite's chemical composition is typical of L type chondrites, with higher silicon, oxygen and magnesium content, and lower iron and nickel content. It contains common chondritic minerals such as olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase.
• Fragment weight: The largest piece found weighs 284 kg and the total weight of the Tsarev meteorite fragments found is approximately 1.5 tonnes.
• Number of pieces found: A total of 28 individual meteorite fragments were found.
• Range of finds: The greatest distance between the sites of the individual fragments was 6.0 km.
• Other finds: From the 1990s to the present, additional meteorite fragments have been found.