Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies

The Center for Meteorite Studies is saddened by the passing of Charles “Chuck” Lewis, retired ASU Meteorite Curator and researcher. Lewis’ interest in both chemistry and meteorites spanned several decades; as an undergraduate, he participated in a field trip led by H. H. Nininger. On the recommendation of ASU chemist Tom Thompson, who had been…

New Concord is an ordinary (L6) ordinary chondrite that fell in Muskingum County, Ohio. Over thirty individual meteorite fragments, weighing a combined 230 kg (507 lb) fell in a broad swath over eastern central Ohio at approximately 12:45 PM on May 1, 1860. The meteorites are named after the town nearest the largest concentration of…

L'Aigle is an ordinary (L6) chondrite that fell in Orme, France on April 26, 1803. The L'Aigle meteorite fall, which produced a shower of over 3,000 stones, proved to European scientists that rocks fall from the sky. Although people had seen meteorites fall before 1803, their stories had typically been doubted by the scientific community….

Since 1961, the Arizona State University Center for Meteorite Studies has amassed and preserved one of the world's largest meteorite collections to enable research in planetary science and cosmochemistry, and to inspire students, educators, and the general public to learn about the Solar System and our place in it. All year, we’ll post stories of…

In 1957, Sputnik’s launch put space exploration at the forefront of the American conscience. The following year, Harvey H. Nininger, the famous meteorite hunter and self-taught meteoriticist, sold a portion of his collection to the British Natural History Museum. The Coordinator of Research at Arizona State University, George A. Boyd, was familiar with Nininger’s collection…