Carancas - H4-5 Chondrite

Carancas is a famous witnessed Meteorite fall that occurred near the village of Carancas in southern Peru on 15 September 2007. The event is especially notable because the incoming stone survived atmospheric entry and struck the ground at high speed, forming a fresh impact crater. This is highly unusual for a Stony Meteorite, as most fragment and slow down before reaching the surface with enough energy to excavate a crater. Carancas is officially classified as an H4-5 Ordinary Chondrite and became one of the most significant modern crater-forming meteorite events.

Carancas specimens typically show a grey to brown interior with chondrules, metal grains, and brecciated material. As an H Chondrite, it contains relatively high iron compared with L and LL Chondrites, while the H4-5 classification reflects moderate thermal metamorphism on its parent asteroid. Some material may show impact-darkening, fragmented textures, or weathering related to the violent nature of the fall and the conditions around the crater site. The impact crater was reported at roughly 13.5 to 14.2 meters across, adding strong geological context to the recovered material.

Studying Carancas provides valuable insight into atmospheric entry, impact dynamics, and the behaviour of Stony Meteorites during high-speed collision with Earth. Its crater-forming nature challenged expectations about how relatively small Chondritic bodies behave during descent and impact. For collectors, Carancas offers a rare combination of witnessed fall provenance, known date and location, and association with a documented impact crater. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material connected to one of the most unusual and scientifically important Meteorite falls of modern times.