A chondrite /ˈkɒndraɪt/ is a stony (non-metallic) meteorite that has not been modified, by either melting or differentiation of the parent body.[a] They are formed when various types of dust and small grains in the early Solar System accreted to form primitive asteroids. Some such bodies that are captured in the planet´s gravity well become the most common type of meteorite by (whether quickly, or after many orbits) arriving on a trajectory toward the planet´s surface. Estimates for their contribution to the total meteorite population vary between 85.7% and 86.2%.
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