Short Description
The Natural History Museum of Vienna owns one of the largest meteorite collections in the world. With currently (December 2020) over 10,600 catalogued objects (which represent about 2,550 different meteorites, consisting of 470 falls and 2,080 finds), it lies in third place, behind the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. (USA), and the National Institute of Polar Research in Tokyo (Japan) which has one of the largest collection of meteorites from Antarctica.
The Hall 5 of the Natural History Museum contains the largest meteorite display in the world. Currently, there are about 1,100 meteorites on display (including 650 different meteorites, consisting of 300 falls and 350 finds).
Contact Person
Dr. Andrea Patzer
Research Services
Determination of meteorites and impactites possible on request, depending on various conditions.
Help concerning historical research.
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The employees of the department of mineralogy and petrography have expertise in the determination of meteorites and impactites. A large variety of analytical methods are used. They also have special expertise in the historical aspects of meteorites and in meteorite impact craters.
Allocation to research infrastructure
Mineralogisch-Petrographische Abteilung, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien