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Oriented Canyon Diablo Meteorite? I hope so.

The irons and iron fragments from Canyon Diablo or Meteorite Crater, or Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, or Coon Mountain or any of several other names is a staple in every collection. From huge display pieces to micro mounts, Canyon Diablo, or CDs, are important representative of meteorite history, meteorite science, and meteorite collecting.

So as a meteorite collector, I have many specimens of Canyon Diablo from near-microscopic metallic spheroids, to multi-kilo individuals. I have polished specimens, rusty fragments, and beautiful individuals with unique shapes and holes. But one that has peaked my interest lately is a 2.5kg individual that sure looks like it could be oriented. In a nutshell, its triangular with a bulged convex face on one side and a lightly concave face on the other side.

I’ve yet to find any documented reports of oriented individuals of Canyon Diablo, but I have heard that many folks don’t think there are. In addition to looking at hundreds or more likely thousands of CD specimens, three other sources are my go-tos for info on Canyon Diablo. One is a 1972 article simply tiled “The Canyon Diablo Meteorite” by the Soviet scientist Gennady P. Vdovykin.

Another source is Jim Tobin’s book (now in it’s third edition) titled Meteor Crater. Any my final go-to source is, of course, the 1972 edition of Handbook of iron meteorites, their history, distribution, composition, and structure by Vagn F. Buchwald.

So in this installment of The Accretion Desk, I am presenting a series of pictures the highlight the shape of the individual I’m wondering about. Could this be an oriented Canyon Diablo? I’d like to think so, but please comment. Not that consensus will make it so, but I’m certainly curious about what other see in this individual.

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