Meteorite Glossary - Letter M

Magnetite:

An iron mineral that is found in meteorites of certain types and is found in the fusion crust of meteorites. It occurs naturally as large grains and nodules on Earth and being magnetic and responsive to a magnet as well as black and heavy makes it a first rate impostor of a true meteorite.

Matrix:

The material of a meteorite that fills the spaces between chondrules and inclusions. It is made of much smaller mineral particles than the chondrules and inclusions themselves.

Mesosiderite:

A class of stony-iron meteorite that contains silicate and other mineral inclusions as a major portion of its mass.

Meteor:

The luminous phenomena in the sky caused by the high velocity passage of a cosmic body through the atmosphere.

Meteorite:

The rock or iron body that survives the passage through the atmosphere and reaches the ground.

Meteoroid:

A body in space that is smaller than an asteroid.

Moldavite:

The name for tektites found in the Czech Republic. They are generally green in color. They may have formed from material melted in the Ries Impact event in Germany.