The specimens in this gallery give us a direct connection with outer space – visitors can touch meteorites that have passed through the atmosphere and survived impact with the Earth’s surface.

Meteorites have great scientific importance because they provide us with tangible contact with the rest of our solar system. For this reason, legislation in South Australia decrees that all meteorites found in this state after July 1980 are the legal property of the South Australian Museum, which houses the state’s collection.