Chondrite Stone Meteorites
Stone meteorites are the most common type of meteorite to fall to Earth. The vast majority of stone meteorites are made of a primitive type of stone that formed in asteroids very early in our solar system's history, even before the formation of the planets we see today. These meteorites are called chondrites. Dating to nearly 4.6 billion years old, these meteorites represent some of the oldest material in our solar system, and will almost certainly be some of the oldest rocks you have ever held in your hand.
NWA 869
These stones are individual specimens of the stone chondrite meteorite NWA 869 which fell in northwestern Africa. They feature a dark outer fusion crust that formed as the outer "skin" of each stone melted due to the intense heat generated in flight. Representative samples of this meteorite have been classified as an L3-6 brecciated chondrite.
