Muonionalusta

Muonionalusta is a fine octahedrite iron meteorite, classified as Iron, IVA per the Meteoritical Bulletin, and the oldest meteorite known to have impacted Earth based on Pb-Pb dating of approximately 4.565 billion years.

The first mass was recovered in 1906 near the village of Kitkiöjärvi in Norrbotten County, Sweden, after a child kicked what turned out to be a heavy iron-rich stone. Additional masses, including a 158 kg specimen recovered in 2003, have since defined a 25 by 15 km strewnfield in the Arctic forest.

When etched, Muonionalusta reveals the striking Widmanstätten pattern characteristic of the IVA group, with kamacite, taenite, troilite, and schreibersite as primary phases. It is also the first iron meteorite in which stishovite, a high-pressure silica polymorph, has been confirmed, recording a violent preterrestrial shock event on its parent body.

Among IVA irons, Muonionalusta is one of the most collected and most photogenic specimens on the market, sharing parent-body lineage with Gibeon. One caveat for buyers: Muonionalusta can weather more aggressively than some irons, so proper stabilization, storage and proper sealing matter.

Browse current Muonionalusta inventory below. Contact us directly for end cuts, complete slices, or specimens not yet listed.