The Planetary Studies Foundation (PSF), a US research institution dedicated to promoting the study of planetary science and astronomy with a focus on meteorites, has recently donated a trove of 1,800 meteorite specimens to the Yale Peabody Museum.
Combined with a 2017 donation of about 1,300 meteorites from PSF that had belonged to the late collector James M. DuPont and the museum’s prior collection of close to 500 specimens, the Peabody now counts about 3,600 meteorites in its collection, which is considered the oldest in North America.
Among the donated specimens are rare lunar and Martian meteorites and pieces containing extraterrestrial organic matter that could offer insights into the origins of life. Some of the meteorites contain compounds that predate our solar system.
“The PSF acquisitions add a tremendous array of diversity to our collection, and we now have holdings in all the major known types of meteorites,” said Jay Ague, the Henry Barnard Davis Memorial Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Peabody’s curator-in-charge of mineralogy and meteoritics. “It’s a world-class collection that we’re just extremely fortunate to have in our care. Our goal is to make this available for teaching, research, and public outreach in perpetuity.”
Meteorites from PSF will be on display in the Peabody’s galleries when the museum reopens in 2024 following a transformative, building-wide renovation.