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break-up of a large fireball. The shower was seen to fall over an area
of about 12 miles by 3 miles near Tenham Station. Within days, 350
pounds of freshly fallen stone meteorites were recovered by local
aborigines. Several stones look as if they separated from the parent
mass and traveled right along with the main mass immersed in the
superhot gaseous capsule and was thus subjected to the oven effect as
well as, or perhaps even more than, the ablative process. There is a
very heavy crust development on the front and sides of some stones, and
a considerable thickness of slag on the rear. Over 100 years later,
modern day meteorite hunters returned to the area and recovered some
remarkably well-preserved specimens. Most were found in a dry river
channel after weeks of searching. Several were found in an old fire
pit. The tiny flakes of nickel-iron inside the stone have come in contact
with water, causing the fusion crust to turn a brown color in spots.