Why are meteorites named after nearby post offices?

Meteorites are frequently named following a convention established in 1891 that connects the space rocks to the closest post office or local geographic feature. For example, the famous Canyon Diablo meteorite fragments were named after the nearby Canyon Diablo post office in Arizona. This naming practice helps provide a standardized, recognizable local identifier for strewn fields and impact fragments.

What we know

• Meteorites found around the impact crater in Arizona were named in 1891 by convention for the closest post office, Canyon Diablo. [2]
• The Canyon Diablo post office convention led to fragments of the asteroid being officially designated as the Canyon Diablo Meteorite. [3]
• The actual Canyon Diablo lies about 2.5 miles west of the crater in the westernmost part of the strewn field. [2]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat is Meteor Crater?
• how it workedHow do iron meteorites form?
• a case in pointWho owns Meteor Crater today?
• how we knowWhat are isotopic reference materials?
• whereWhere is the Canyon Diablo canyon located?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a meteorite connect to postal naming history?The scientific classification and naming of space rocks historically relied on local civilian postal geography rather than strictly geological landmarks.

Sources

• [1]Canyon Diablo meteorite (Wikidata Q1034024) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Canyon Diablo (meteorite) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Meteor Crater · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Pearcedale · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Godzilla Minus Zero · CC BY-SA 4.0