achondrite

achondrite

(ay-kon -drÿt) Any of a class of stony meteorites that lack the characteristic chondrules of the chondrites. They are usually more coarsely crystallized than the chondritic stones and are more similar chemically and mineralogically to some terrestrial rocks. They contain very little iron and nickel. Achondrites resemble volcanic rocks and are thought to be products of large-scale melting on their parent bodies, i.e. they are differentiated or reprocessed matter. See also HED meteorites; SNC meteorites.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

achondrite

[¦ā′kän‚drīt]

(geology)

A stony meteorite that contains no chondrules.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.