Some meteorites are actual pieces of the original matter from which the planets were assembled. Others are fragments of asteroids that grew hot enough to develop crusts, mantles, and cores. When these extraterrestrial rocks land on Earth, they provide an extraordinary opportunity to piece together the history of our Solar System's birth and evolution.

• Commonly Asked Questions
• Where Do Meteorites Come From?
• Recognizing Meteorites
• Where Do We Find Meteorites?
• From Superstition to Science

The Old Woman meteorite, a 2753-kg mass of iron-nickel metal, stands out against the rounded boulders in the Old Woman Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, where it was found in 1976. Behind it is Smithsonian scientist Roy S. Clarke, Jr.