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IPIRANGA
Stony
TYPE:
CLASS:
CLAN:
GROUP:
SUBGROUP:
TYPE PET:
SHOCK STG:
WEATHERING:
COUNTRY:
YEAR:
DESCRIPTION:
CHONDRITE
ORDINARY
H-L-LL
H
-
6
S3 or more
W0
BRAZIL - PR
1972
Ordinary Chondrite H6, with evidence of medium to high shock stage S3 or more and weathering W0, as it was recovered shortly after the fall.
PETROGRAPHY:
The meteorite exhibits chondritic texture with chondrules ranging from 0.2 to 2.0mm in diameter. They have a rounded to elongated shape and vary considerably in internal texture (barred, radial, porphyritic and various granulations). Ipiranga also clearly displays evidence of a shock effect on its texture, such as: shock veins, undulating extinction, mechanical cleavage deformation and set of twinning. Source: Gomes & Keil (1980).
GEOCHEMISTRY:
According to Angelucci & Funiciello (1975) and Gomes et al. (1978c), the meteorite consists predominantly of Fa19.0 olivine, Fs16.8 bronzite and kamacite-taenite (plessite), with smaller phases of troilite and plagioclase Ab82.8 An12.2 Or5.0 and with chromite as an accessory mineral. Angelucci & Funiciello (1975) also reported pentlandite and oldhamite as accessory minerals. Source: Gomes & Keil (1980)..
CLASSIFICATION:
Chemical and mineralogical data support the classification of the chemical group H for the Ipiranga meteorite. The total chemistry value is also consistent with group H, as indicated by the reasons given, respectively by Gomes et al. (1978c) and Angelucci & Funiciello (1975): Fe / SiO2 (0.71; 0.73), Fe ° / Fe (0.57; 0.54) and Fe ° / Ni (8.91; 8.29) and the total iron content (26.27%; 26.78 %) and FeNi metal (16.73%; 16.35%). Source: Gomes & Keil (1980). Petrographic type 5 was given in Gomes and Keil (1980), but it was updated in Meteoritical Bulletin to type 6.
CLASSIFIERS:
It was first described by Cavarretta et al. (1975). More details on the textural and mineralogical description were given by Angelucci & Funiciello (1975) and Gomes et al. (1978c). Source: Gomes & Keil (1980).
HISTORY:
A meteor shower that fell at 10:30 (7:30 according to other sources) in the morning of December 27, 1972 on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, more precisely in the locality of São Miguel do Iguaçu, Lajedo do Ipiranga. Many people watched the passage of a large meteor (bolide), leaving a trail of smoke in the sky and falling towards Iguaçu Park. Almost the entire population of the neighboring cities, Foz do Iguaçu, Medianeira, Capanema, Cascavel, Céu Azul, Guarapuava, Matel and Matelândia noticed the explosions that even broke some windows. A local radio station even announced the crash of a plane, the rumor was taken by a police inspector from Capanema. A search team was formed following the night without finding anything to confirm the plane crash. Gradually rumors were emerging that pieces of stones fell in several cities. A Ford air taxi pilot, who flew over the region said he saw the meteorite fall, which was bluish in front and red in the back, and which in the shot had left a trail of smoke that remained in the air for about 15 minutes. Searches to locate pieces of the meteorite began after farmer Robson Machioro reported that "a piece of what fell from the sky" was on his land. A fragment was found in the middle of a thicket and it was taken to Foz do Iguaçu, where a director of Rádio Cultura, Milton Forlin, forwarded it to the head of the FAB detachment, non-commissioned officer Luís Carlos de Sousa. Local residents collected more than 30 meteorites, for a total of approximately 7 kg. Meanwhile, the most fanciful stories emerged, such as that a flying saucer had fallen in the region. There was also talk of pieces of the sun, artificial satellites and even punishment from God. Some people avoided talking about it because they linked the explosions and earthquakes to "a sign from heaven". For them, as it was a “thing up there”, they should not be commented. Others did not want to comment or look for the object, because having no idea what it was about, they were afraid of getting involved with the authorities of the military dictatorship of the time. The newspapers of the time published several news about the event citing the names that we present here and photographs. However, it is not known where the more than 30 fragments collected by the population ended up. According to Jornal do Paraná a 2.6 kg fragment was found inside a hole, a small crater with a burnt edge, and it was necessary to dig 50 centimeters to reach the stone. The same newspaper cites the existence of an even bigger hole, but there was no time to go to the place and it is assumed that there was an even bigger fragment there. In May 1973, an Italian expedition from the Institute of Geology at the University of Rome, funded by the “Academia Nzionale de Linci” in Italy, visited the site, surveyed the field and the site of the fall, interviewed residents and collected 12 samples, the 3 largest among 1 and 1.5 kg having taken them to Italy. Description obtained in documents of National Museum.
All information that does not have a specific source was extracted from the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.
All images are copyrighted.
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