For readers who want the full picture
Detailed explanation
Chondrites preserve early Solar System material and commonly contain chondrules, fine matrix, metal and sulphides in varying proportions.
Major families include ordinary, carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites, alongside smaller groups such as R and K chondrites.
- Characteristic
- commonly chondrules
Petrologic types
Numbers from 1 to 7 describe the degree of secondary alteration. Type 3 is considered least altered; lower numbers indicate increasing aqueous alteration and higher numbers increasing thermal metamorphism.
The components of a chondrite
A chondrite is not a uniform rock. Chondrules, CAIs, fine-grained matrix, iron-nickel metal and sulphides form a texture whose proportions are characteristic of each group.
The matrix may contain very primitive dust and presolar grains. Many chondrites also record later alteration by water, heat, shock and brecciation on their parent body.
Chemical group and petrologic type
The chemical group — for example H, L, LL, CM or CV — describes a related composition. The following number records how strongly the original material was secondarily altered.
Type 3 is closest to the original state. Types 1 and 2 show increasing aqueous alteration; types 4 to 6 increasing thermal metamorphism. Type 7 is used for very strongly metamorphosed material and requires careful treatment.
Short & simple
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Primitive stony meteorites whose parent bodies were not completely melted.
- Chondrites preserve early Solar System material and commonly contain chondrules, fine matrix, metal and sulphides in varying proportions.
- Major families include ordinary, carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites, alongside smaller groups such as R and K chondrites.
Sources & editorial note
Sources & databases
Editorially paraphrased prefill, reviewed 12 August 2026. The linked sources support further specialist verification.