Meteorites

The Meteorite data in Astromat includes sample analytical data from several sources. Astromat Data Managers completed the ingestion of all legacy publication data from Antarctic Meteorite sample data in 2023. Our curators continuously scan recent publications for relevant Antarctic Meteorite data and enter those into the Astromat Synthesis as they are released. 

Meteorite sample data in Astromat includes analytical data from these samples:

Antarctic Meteorites from the US Antarctic Meteorite program, a cooperative effort among NASA, the National Science Foundation and ANSMET, and the Smithsonian Institution;

Meteorites analyzed concurrently in publications with Antarctic Meteorites;

Meteorites included in the merge of the MetBase database in Astromat Synthesis.

AstroSearch provides multiple ways to search for meteorite sample data in Astromat's Synthesis Database, including options to filter for meteorites by classification, and/or analytical and chemical variables. Users can also search for data from a specific meteorite using the Search by Sample Name tool to access and download all aggregated data in the Synthesis for a given sample.

NASA JSC Curation's Antarctic Meteorites Homepage

NASA JSC Curation's Antarctic Meteorite Classification Database

NASA JSC Curation's Antarctic Meteorite API

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Lunar Samples

The Lunar Sample data in Astromat consists mainly of analytical sample data from lunar material collected during NASA's Apollo missions. These six missions brought back a total of 2,196 specimens of soils, breccias, rocks and core samples from the surface of the Moon. The Synthesis also includes Lunar Sample data from other missions, including Luna and Chang'e 5.

Ingestion of all legacy Lunar Sample data, from the 1970's to present, into the Astromat Synthesis database was completed in 2020. Additional Lunar Sample data is continuously added by Astromat Data Managers as new publications are released.

MoonDB, the predecessor to Astromat, was an online, quality-controlled data system that synthesized analytical data acquired on lunar samples to make them accessible in a single data product. MoonDB preserved and restored lunar sample data that had been scattered across the scientific literature, in online PDF documents, and in private files. The Lunar Sample data from MoonDB are now part of the Astromaterials Data Synthesis.

NASA JSC Curation's Lunar Samples Homepage

NASA JSC Curation's Lunar Sample and Photo Catalog

NASA JSC Curation's Lunar Sample Compendium

LPI's Lunar Samples Search

Geochron-L (Lunar Geochronology Database)

Hayabusa

The Astromat Synthesis contains sample analytical data from the Hayabusa mission, the first sample return mission of JAXA, to collect samples from asteroid Itokawa. NASA was allocated approximately 10% of the returned sample for its support of the mission. 

The sample analytical data from NASA's Hayabusa allocation is included in Astromat's Synthesis database. Additional sample data from the mission samples are ingested into the Synthesis by Astromat Data Managers as new publications are released.

NASA JSC Curation's Hayabusa Homepage

NASA JSC Curation's Hayabusa Sample Availability

JAXA Hayabusa Project Science Data Archive

UCLA

Extraterrestrial materials include meteorite falls and finds, micrometeorites, and interplanetary dust particles as well as samples returned from manned and robotic spacecraft. Samples have been retrieved from the Moon, several asteroids, a comet, and the solar wind. These materials provide otherwise unobtainable information about the chemical composition, formation, history, and evolution of the Solar System. 

Since the 1960s, John Wasson, Paul Warren, and their UCLA colleagues have been analyzing the chemical compositions of a wide range of extraterrestrial materials including iron meteorites, stony iron meteorites, chondrites, achondrites and lunar samples. A large quantity of cosmochemical data has accumulated. 

These comprehensive data can help in the recognition of new meteorite groups, the identification of grouplets, and the determination of possible pairing among discrete samples. These data form the basis for modeling the disparate formational processes in the solar nebula and for enhancing our understanding of the formation and evolutionary history of the Moon, asteroids, and planets.

UCLA Cosmochemistry Database

UCLA Cosmochemistry Database Bibliography

Data from “Classification and origin of IAB and IIICD iron meteorites” by Choi et al.

Data from “Composition of 13 elements in 25 IAB-MG irons and some Campo-like irons” by Wasson

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites: IV. Irons with Ge concentrations greater than 190 ppm and other meteorites associated with group I” by Wasson

Data from “Compositional range in the Canyon Diablo meteoroid” by Wasson and Ouyang

Data from “The IAB iron-meteorite complex: A group, five subgroups, numerous grouplets, closely related, mainly formed by crystal segregation in rapidly cooling melts” by Wasson and Kallemeyn

Data from “Origin of Iron Meteorite Groups IAB and IIICD” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Willow Grove: A unique nickel-rich ataxite from Victoria, Australia” by Birch et al.

Data from “Compositions and taxonomy of 15 unusual carbonaceous chondrites” by Choe et al.

Data from “Systematic compositional variations in the Cape York iron meteorite” by Esbensen et al.

Data from “Compositions of large metal nodules in mesosiderites: Links to iron meteorite group IIIAB and the origin of mesosiderite subgroups” by Hassanzadeh et al.

Data from “Siderophile-element anomalies in CK carbonaceous chondrites: Implications for parent-body aqueous alteration and terrestrial weathering of sulfides” by Huber et al.

Data from “Ordinary chondrites: Bulk compositions, classification, lithophile-element fractionations and composition-petrographic type relationships” by Kallemeyn et al.

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: V. The Karoonda (CK) group of carbonaceous chondrites” by Kallemeyn et al.

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: VI. The CR carbonaceous chondrite group” by Kallemeyn et al.

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: VII. The R chondrite group” by Kallemeyn et al.

Data from “Compositions of enstatite (EH3, EH4,5 and EL6) chondrites: Implications regarding their formation” by Kallemeyn and Wasson

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites—I. The carbonaceous chondrite groups” by Kallemeyn and Wasson

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: III. Ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites” by Kallemeyn and Wasson

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: IV. Ungrouped chondritic meteorites and clasts” by Kallemeyn and Wasson

Data from “Chemical classification of iron meteorites—IX. A new group (IIF), revision of IAB and IIICD, and data on 57 additional irons” by Kracher et al.

Data from “Chemical classification of iron meteorites—X. Multielement studies of 43 irons, resolution of group IIIE from IIIAB, and evaluation of Cu as a taxonomic parameter” by Malvin et al.

Data from “Bocaiuva—A silicate‐inclusion bearing iron meteorite related to the Eagle‐Station pallasites” by Malvin et al.

Data from “Ru, Re, Os, Pt and Au in iron meteorites” by Pernicka and Wasson

Data from “Low‐Ir IAB irons from Morasko and other locations in central Europe: One fall, possibly distinct from IAB‐MG” by Pilski et al.

Data from “Compositional trends and cooling rates of group IVB iron meteorites” by Rasmussen et al.

Data from “A IAB-complex iron meteorite containing low-Ca clinopyroxene: Northwest Africa 468 and its relationship to lodranites and formation by impact melting” by Rubin et al.

Data from “Progressive aqueous alteration of CM carbonaceous chondrites” by Rubin et al.

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites. VI. A reinvestigation of irons with Ge concentration lower than 1 ppm” by Schaudy et al.

Data from “Chemical classification of iron meteorites—VIII. Groups IC, IIE, IIIF and 97 other irons” by Scott and Wasson

Data from “Four new iron meteorite finds” by Scott et al.

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites—VII. A reinvestigation of irons with Ge concentrations between 25 and 80 ppm” by Scott et al.

Data from “The compositional classification of chondrites: II The enstatite chondrite groups” by Sears et al.

Data from “Formation of non-magmatic iron-meteorite group IIE” by Wasson

Data from “Formation of the Treysa quintet and the main-group pallasites by impact-generated processes in the IIIAB asteroid” by Wasson

Data from “Ni, Ga, Ge and Ir in the metal of iron-meteorites-with-silicate-inclusions” by Wasson

Data from “Relationship between iron-meteorite composition and size: Compositional distribution of irons from North Africa” by Wasson

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites—III. Hexahedrites and other irons with germanium concentrations between 80 and 200 ppm” by Wasson

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites: I. A study of iron meteorites with low concentrations of gallium and germanium” by Wasson

Data from “Trapped melt in IIIAB irons; solid/liquid elemental partitioning during the fractionation of the IIIAB magma” by Wasson

Data from “Ungrouped iron meteorites in Antarctica: Origin of anomalously high abundance” by Wasson

Data from “New Chilean iron meteorites: Medium octahedrites from Northern Chile are unique” by Wasson and Canut de Bon

Data from “The IIG iron meteorites: Probable formation in the IIAB core” by Wasson and Choe

Data from “Chemical classification of iron meteorites: XII. New members of the magmatic groups” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Main-group pallasites: Chemical composition, relationship to IIIAB irons, and origin” by Wasson and Choi

Data from “Compositional trends among IID irons; their possible formation from the P-rich lower magma in a two-layer core” by Wasson and Huber

Data from “Formation of IIAB iron meteorites” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Compositional and petrographic similarities of CV and CK chondrites: A single group with variations in textures and volatile concentrations attributable to impact heating, crushing and oxidation” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Compositions of chondrites” by Wasson and Kallemeyn et al.

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites—II. Irons and pallasites with germanium concentrations between 8 and 100 ppm” by Wasson and Kimbelin

Data from “Compositional study of a suite of samples from the 28-t Armanty (Xinjiang) iron meteorite” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Chemical classification of iron meteorites: XI. Multi-element studies of 38 new irons and the high abundance of ungrouped irons from Antarctica” by Wasson et al.

Data from “Fractionation trends among IVA iron meteorites: Contrasts with IIIAB trends” by Wasson and Richardson

Data from “The chemical classification of iron meteorites—V groups IIIC and IIID and other irons with germanium concentrations between 1 and 25 ppm” by Wasson and Schaudy

Data from “Mesosiderites—I. Compositions of their metallic portions and possible relationship to other metal-rich meteorite groups” by Wasson et al.

Data from “A nonmagmatic origin of group-IIE iron meteorites” by Wasson and Wang

Microparticle Impact

The Microparticle Impact analytical data in Astromat includes the samples curated by the JSC -  a variety of spacecraft and spacecraft components that have been impacted by natural and man-made microparticulates. These include the impact-preserving materials captured as micro-impacts in unique environments such as the Genesis and Stardust sample return capsules, pieces of Surveyor 3, the long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), the Solar Maximum satellite, the European Recoverable Carrier (EuReCa), the MIR space station and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Astromat Data Managers completed ingesting the legacy data for these samples and continue to enter newly published data into the Astromat Synthesis.


NASA JSC Curation's Microparticle Impacts Homepage

Cosmic Dust

The Cosmic Dust sample data contained in Astromat originate from samples of asteroids, comets, and spacecraft debris particulates. Sample material types include both interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and micrometeorites (MMs). 

Astromat Data Managers completed the ingestion of all legacy Cosmic Dust sample data into the Astromat Synthesis and continue to add additional sample data as it published.

NASA JSC Curation's Cosmic Dust Collection Homepage

NASA JSC Curation's Cosmic Dust Sample Catalogs

Genesis

The Genesis sample data in Astromat contain data from samples collected during the NASA Genesis sample return mission, which collected solar wind with collectors. Genesis samples contain analytical data that can be used to determine the composition of the Sun, which can provide a good estimate of the composition of the solar nebula at the time when the planets were forming. 

Astromat Data Managers completed the ingestion of legacy Genesis sample data and enter additional publication data as they are released.

NASA JSC Curation's Genesis Solar Wind Samples Homepage

NASA JSC Curation's Genesis Solar Wind Samples Catalog

NASA's Genesis Mission Page

Stardust

Astromat contains sample data from Stardust, a NASA Discovery-class mission, the first to return samples from a comet, Wild-2, and from interstellar space. Samples were collected on exposed trays of silica aerogel to capture coma dust grains. 

Astromat Data Managers completed the ingestion of Stardust sample legacy data and continue to add additional data as it is published.

Astromat

Meteorites

Learn More

Browse Collections

Hayabusa

UCLA Cosmochemistry Database

Microparticle Impact