The Orconuma meteorite is a meteorite that was discovered in the Philippines, and it is one of six meteorites from the Philippines listed in the Meteoritical Society's Bulletin database.[1] The meteorite is thought to have formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
History
The Orconuma meteorite fell to Earth on March 7, 2011, in Orconuma, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro.[2] It was discovered by three farmers, Fredo Manzano, Edgar Francisco Sr., and Enrico Camacho, Jr., who found the meteorite in the middle of a field.[3]
The three farmers initially hid and stored the specimen before publicizing their discovery in 2019.[4] Collectors John Higgins and Jasper Spencer would purchase the specimen after it was confirmed to be a meteorite.[3] On July 8, 2022, Higgins and Spencer would donate a piece of the metoerite to the National Museum of the Philippines[5]
Classification
The Orconuma meteorite is classified as an H3-4 chondrite. This classification indicates that it is a type of stony meteorite that is rich in olivine and pyroxene, and it originated from the asteroid belt. The H3-4 classification also suggests that it underwent minimal thermal metamorphism on its parent body.[6]