Ordinary chondrite, brecciated (H5)
Fell, 17 May 1879; 1.75 kg, 2 stones

Loud booms like gun shots were heard like, then whizzing sounds, and a woman in the field saw that something had struck the ground as it threw up the dark soil. A meteorite weighing 1 kg was found in a pit ~25 cm deep. A second piece, about 0.75 kg, was also found at a depth of ~15-20 cm near Schobergrund. As some had heard three loud blasts, it was thought that three meteorites might have fallen, but no further meteoritic fragments were found. Embedded within the surface small Fe-Ni grains and chondrules were readily in evidence upon more thorough inspection. Olivine and pyroxene — often fractured — dominated both matrix and chondrules with pyroxene especially prominent in chondrules. The largest chondrules were 2-3mm in diameter. Meteoritic iron, chromite, magnetite, and troilite have been reported in various proportions within the chondrules and/or matrix. A cosmic ray exposure age (CRE) of ~71 Ma has also been reported.

Gnadenfrei is one of 170 meteorites listed as exactly an 'H5' chondrite and is also one of 11 confirmed Polish meteorite falls listed with the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (Nov. 2015). As the 3rd Millennium began the largest portion of the mass (750 g) had been stored at Breslau University.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

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