Meteorite specimen donated to National Museum

MANILA, Philippines — The National Museum of the Philippines has received its first ever specimen of a meteorite, which was formed billions of years ago during the early days of the solar system.

The meteorite fell in Oriental Mindoro 11 years ago.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the museum said it received the specimen during a turnover ceremony at the National Museum of Natural History on July 8.

“It is one of the six meteorites from the Philippines listed in the Meteoritical Society’s Bulletin Database. Classified as an H3-4 chondrite, this space rock is one of the first solid materials to form from the earliest days of our solar system, about 4.6 billion years ago,” the museum management said.

The turnover was attended by geologist Aubrey Whymark, who facilitated the donation from owners John Higgins and Jasper Spencer.

Three Filipino farmers – Fredo Manzano, Edgar Francisco Sr. and Enrico Camacho Jr. – witnessed the fall of the 7.8-kilogram meteorite. They took care of the meteorite after it landed on the field in Barangay Orconuma, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro on March 7, 2011.

The farmers were featured in GMA News’ “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” that aired in November 2019. They said they initially thought that the meteorite was sent by aliens.

The meteorite specimen was named Orconuma after the barangay.

“It is the first ever meteorite specimen to be included in the National Geological and Paleontological Collections,” the museum said.

The museum management thanked the donors for turning over the meteorite.