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The Harleton, Texas, Chondrite
Roy S. Clarke, Jr., Edward P. Henderson, and Brian Mason
ABSTRACT
The Harleton meteorite fell near Harleton, Texas
(32°40.5'N, 94°30.7'W) on 30 May 1961. A single
stone, weighing 8.36 kg, was recovered. Chemical
analyses and microscopic examination show that it
is an olivine-hypersthene chondrite (L6). Principal
minerals are olivine and orthopyroxene, with minor
amounts of plagioclase, nickel-iron, and troilite, and
accessory chromite.
Introduction
The Harleton meteorite fell four miles [6 km]
east of Harleton, Harrison County, Texas, at 2230
(Central Time) on 30 May 1961, on the property of
J. J. and Bernice Craver; the coordinates of the
place of fall are 32°40.5'N, 94°30.7'W. A single
stone, weighing 8.36 kg, was recovered from a shallow
crater in sandy ground within ten minutes of
the time of fall. An examination of that specimen
shows that other pieces were shed from it during
high velocity flight, but none was recovered. The
fireball accompanying the fall was seen over a
considerable area of east Texas; the meteorite was
traveling approximately west to east.
The Harleton meteorite was purchased from the
property owners by E. P. Henderson on 12 June
1961. Dr. Henderson represented both the Smithsonian
Institution and an informal consortium of
interested institutions in this difficult negotiation.
The meteorite arrived at the National Museum of
Roy S. Clarke, Jr., Edward P. Henderson, and Brian Mason,
Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural
History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
20560.
61
Natural History in Washington on 13 June and a
mold for subsequent preparation of models was
made during the day of 14 June. Late that same
day the Harleton meteorite was broken in half in
a jaw crusher. One of the halves was broken down
into smaller pieces using the same technique. Most
of these fragments were distributed to scientific
colleagues for detailed studies on 15 June, just 16
days after the fall. Details of the various transactions
involved are in Smithsonian accession file
236677, and the meteorite has been assigned catalog
number USNM 2576.
The prompt recovery and distribution of the
Harleton meteorite made it a particularly interesting
specimen for the study of phenomena associated
with freshly fallen meteorites. Published
reports that discuss these results are listed here:
Bainbridge, Suess, and Wanke, 1962; Davis,
Stoenner, and Schaeffer, 1963; Eberhardt, et al.,
1966; Fireman, 1967; Fireman, DeFelice, and Tilles,
1963; Goel and Kohman, 1962; Honda and Arnold,
1964; Kohman and Goel, 1963; Mabuchi, et al.,
1968; Osborn, 1972; Rowe, Van Dilla, and
Anderson, 1963; Shedlovsky, Cressy, and Kohman,
1967; and Suess and Wanke, 1962.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.—We are indebted to a
group of scientific colleagues for providing funding
to help in the purchase of the Harleton meteorite.
Morphology
The stone is roughly cuboidal in form, 19 X
14 X 13 cm in maximum dimensions. The morphology
shows several significant features resulting
from ablation and spallation during its fall through
the atmosphere. These are shown in a series of
pictures taken of its various sides.