Fragment of an iron meteorite. Iron meteorites (siderites) are remnants from the formation of the solar system that fall to Earth from space. They contain nickel as well as iron, and are classified depending on the amount of nickel they contain. This meteorite is 7% nickel, and is called a hexahedrite. Iron meteorites typically have a glossy black surface due to their metal surface melting as they pass through the atmosphere. The orange rusty layer is due to corrosion on Earth. This is a fragment of the meteorite which created the Barringer Crater (or Meteor Crater) in Arizona, USA.