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rockfan_jake
Rock Hound
500 rep
IDENTIFICATION
Found this on my Arizona ranch — dense, heavy, reddish-brown. Iron meteorite?
Jun 09, 2026 · 101 views
Dug this up while fencing on my property outside Tucson. It is way heavier than it looks — maybe 8–10 lbs for something the size of a softball. The exterior has a dark reddish-brown crust, almost like a skin, and where it broke there are silvery metallic flecks. I did a basic streak test on an unglazed tile — it left a dark streak, not bright red like hematite. Also stuck to my rare-earth magnet pretty strongly. Does anyone have experience with potential desert iron meteorites from Arizona? Has a Widmanstätten-looking pattern in the broken area. Photos available if someone needs more angles.
2 Replies
✓ Highly Helpful (8 votes)
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gem_sarah
Specialist
Jun 09, 2026
+8 helpful
Great observation on the magnetic response and streak test — those are good first filters. The description of a dark fusion crust, metallic interior, and strong magnet attraction does tick some meteorite boxes, but desert slag and certain terrestrial iron ores can mimic this. What you are describing as a Widmanstätten pattern would be the real telling sign — that structure only forms in iron meteorites over millions of years of ultra-slow cooling. If you can get a clean polished cross-section and post a photo, I can give you a much more confident assessment. Post in the Identify section and I will take a formal look.
MrPatton
💀
Super Administrator
Jun 11, 2026
Very awesome information