An Iron Meteorite, When Cut Open and Etched with Acid

Multiple Choice

An iron meteorite, when cut open and etched with acid, often shows a peculiar pattern of nickel-iron crystals called a Widmanstätten pattern. What does the presence of this pattern tell us about the meteorite?

A) It was blasted from the surface of the planet Mars by an impact.
B) It is a fragment of a shattered asteroid that was at least 200 km in diameter.
C) It is a primitive (unaltered) piece of the early solar nebula.
D) It is a fragment of a shattered asteroid that was no more than about 25 km in diameter.