Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites

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The 5000 specimens in the meteorite collection come from about 1100 different meteorites representing all of the major meteorite groups. It is one of the most important and oldest meteorite collections in the world. The Hall of Meteorites has about 125 of the best and most interesting of these specimens on display. The hall was opened to the public in May 1981 and features as the centerpiece the 34-ton Cape York (nicknamed Ahnighito) iron meteorite. The Ahnighito is the largest meteorite in "captivity" and was brought from Greenland by Robert Peary in 1897.

The hall has several goals: it tells the story of what meteorites are and what they tell us about the solar system (along the walls), it explains the classification and history of meteorites (in the octagonal cases), and describes how Robert Peary brought back the three major Cape York meteorites from Greenland. The meteorite story includes defining a meteorite, showing where they come from and how they got here, what happens when they impact, where they impact, what they are made of and what they tell us about the processes that took place in the solar nebula 4.5 billion years ago when the Sun, the Earth and all the planets, asteroids and comets of the solar system formed. In addition, there are large iron meteorites on display, a video presentation 17 minutes long narrated by Tony Randall, and an interactive display where some of the most common questions about meteorites are answered.

A view of the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites showing the Cape York meteorite in the center.

AMNH Research | Earth and Planetary Sciences

Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites

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