[kon-drahyt] 
| a stony meteorite containing chondrules. |
| chon·drite (kŏn'drīt') n. A stone of meteoric origin characterized by chondrules. chon·drit'ic (-drĭt'ĭk) adj. |
chondrite
in general, any stony meteorite characterized by the presence of chondrules. The only meteorites classified as chondrites that do not contain chondrules are the CI group. These meteorites are so heavily altered by water that it is unclear whether they once contained chondrules. All other aspects of these objects, however, indicate that they belong with the chondrites.Chondrules are roughly spherical inclusions, typically hundreds of micrometres to a few millimetres in size. They are made up of silicates, metal, and sulfide, and they appear to have formed as molten droplets at high temperatures in the early solar nebula. The chondrules are set in a fine-grained matrix that binds them together. Chondrites are divided into three main classes based on their bulk chemical compositions, oxygen isotopic compositions, and petrology. These are carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary chondrites, and enstatite chondrites.
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