The Vatican Meteorite Collection: Under the direction of Guy Consolmagno, the Vatican Meteorite collection has grown from the initial donation of 1000 samples given in 1905 to more than 1200 pieces representing 484 different meteorite falls. This collection allows us to see deep into the mysteries of creation. Current research on these meteorites is centered on understanding their physical structure, including the nature and extent of the pore spaces, cracks and voids present in these rocks. The hope is that these studies will give us insights into how these samples were formed more than 4.5 billion years ago when the planets themselves were being formed. These studies are being done in collaboration with scientists in Great Britain, France, Italy and the U.S.