Atlas of Meteorites

A complete visual reference for meteorite classification, this atlas combines high resolution optical microscope images with detailed descriptions. It provides a systematic account of meteorites and their most important classification parameters, making it an essential resource for meteorite researchers. Each chapter starts with a description of the meteorite class, with a summary of the mineralogical, chemical and isotopic characteristics of the group. The full-color images are taken in plane- and cross-polarized light and reflected light, and arranged to highlight textural variations in meteorites. Specimens are grouped to show the effects of increasing thermal alteration and shock, as well as variations in chondrule size and type. Chapters on iron meteorites, pallasites and mesosiderites are included, photographed as mounts in reflected light, to show the range of textural variations that accompany these meteorites. Images from the book can be downloaded from www.cambridge.org/9780521840354.

1. Introduction; 2. Carbonaceous chondrites; 3. Ordinary chondrites; 4. Enstatite chondrites; 5. Rumurutiite and kakangari-type chondrites; 6. Acapulcoites and lodranites; 7. Brachinites; 8. Winonaite-iab-iiicd clan; 9. Ureilites; 10. Angrites; 11. Aubrites; 12. Howardite-eucrite-diogenite clan; 13. Mesosiderites; 14. Pallasites; 15. Iron meteorites; 16. Lunar meteorites; 17. Martian meteorites; References; Index.

Monica Grady is Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences in the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute (PSSRI), The Open University. Her research focuses on the carbon and nitrogen geochemistry of primitive meteorites and of Martian meteorites. Asteroid (4731) was named Monicagrady in her honor.
Giovanni Pratesi is the President of the Natural History Museum of the University of Firenze. He is also a research fellow at the Earth Sciences Department where he carries out research on systematic, environmental and planetary mineralogy. Moreover, he coordinated the interministerial committee to define the Italian official cataloguing standards for the naturalistic heritage.
Vanni Moggi Cecchi is Curator of the Museum of Planetary Sciences, Prato, Italy. He carries out research on meteorites, focusing his work on the textural and compositional features of primitive achondrites and of chondrites. Since 2003 he has classified more than 150 new meteorites and has re-examined several historic samples. In 2006 he discovered the mineral melliniite.