Haxtun - H/L4 Ordinary Chondrite

Haxtun is a rare H/L4 Ordinary Chondrite found in Phillips County, Colorado, USA, in August 1975. A single weathered stone weighing around 15.5 kg was recovered from a wheat field, making it a well-documented American meteorite find. Its classification is especially interesting, as it is listed as H/L4 or L4, reflecting mineralogical features that sit between the H and L Ordinary Chondrite groups. This intermediate nature gives Haxtun a distinctive place within Chondrite classification.

Haxtun specimens typically show a weathered Ordinary Chondrite texture, with chondrules, metal grains, and silicate minerals affected by both parent-body alteration and terrestrial exposure. Its type 4 classification indicates moderate thermal metamorphism, meaning original Chondritic features remain visible while having been partly recrystallised. The meteorite is also noted for anomalous mineral chemistry, including characteristics that do not fit neatly into a single Ordinary Chondrite group.

Studying Haxtun provides insight into transitional compositions within Ordinary Chondrites and the complexity of early asteroid parent bodies. Its rare H/L classification, limited recovered mass, and Colorado provenance make it especially desirable for collectors focused on unusual Chondrites or USA meteorite finds. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material formed over 4.5 billion years ago, preserved as one of the more distinctive American Chondrite recoveries.