Rocks from Space!

There are rocks in Space! The rocks are debris that has been left behind by comets, remnants of collisions between asteroids,^[1] or possibly material that has simply been free-floating in space for millennia. When those rocks come close-enough to be attracted by Earth's gravity, they can enter the atmosphere and begin plummeting towards the ground.

When a rock is floating in space, it's called a meteoroid.
When a rock enters the atmosphere, it is called a meteor.
When a rock has fallen to the Earth's surface, it is called meteorite.

^{~photo by me~}

This is a meteorite that a friend gave me as a gift. It was such a long time ago, I can't remember exactly when it was, but I'm thinking it was in the early 1980s. I do not know the provenance of the meteor, where it came from, only that it was purchased specifically as a gift for me. This item was chosen because of my penchant for science, and the fact that the friend and I spent many hours star-gazing together with other friends and our telescopes.

This meteorite is surprisingly heavy for its size, thus making me suspect that it is largely composed of iron.

^{~photo by me~}

One side of the meteor has a slightly hollowed-out place, which is delightful to feel as one rubs a thumb over it. The whole stone is smooth as can be, probably worn that way as it heated and sped through the atmosphere upon entry. This makes the entire piece a lovely "worry rock" to hold and rub in times of anxiety.

Under the lighting conditions when I took these photographs, the meteorite appears to be a brownish-gray color, but under natural light, it appears black. Several years after receiving this gift, I was thrilled to learn that some ancient cultures viewed black meteorites as sacred to Goddess energy, the Feminine aspect of The Divine.

At Pessinos in Phrygia, the mother goddess — identified by the Greeks as Cybele — took the form of an unshaped stone of black meteoric iron...^[2]

^{~photo by me~}

I am delighted to have this lovely meteorite in my collection, and it is one of my favorite pieces because of its connection to the Universe and to Goddess, as well as its connection to a former friend and days-gone-by.