Monte das Fortes Meteorite Quick Facts
- Name: Monte das Fortes
- Year Discovered: 1950
- Approximate Recovery Location: Ferreira do Alentejo, Beja, , Portugal
- Precise Recovery Location: (38.01667, -8.25)
- Mass: 4885 grams
- Classification: L5
- Discovery Type: fall
- Condition: Valid
More Details About the Monte das Fortes Meteorite
The Monte das Fortes meteorite was discovered in 1950. It was recovered in Ferreira do Alentejo, Beja, , Portugal (38.01667, -8.25). It has a mass of 4885 grams.
Monte das Fortes is considered a “Valid” meteorite. “Valid” meteorites are typical meteorites with average weathering, while “relict” meteorites are those that have been extremely altered, either due to weathering over time or human intervention.
Monte das Fortes’s official classification is L5. The “L5” classification identifies a meteorite as part of the low-iron L group of ordinary chondrites, characterized by moderate-sized chondrules and distinct oxygen isotope ratios. This type 5 meteorite has undergone significant heat metamorphism, resulting in homogenized minerals and less distinct chondrule outlines.
The Monte das Fortes meteorite is a “fall” meteorite. Meteorites are classified as “falls” if they were observed falling and recovered, while “finds” are those discovered later, often weathered by longer exposure to Earth’s environment and without a record of being seen as they fell.
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Last Updated: 12/29/23