A small, glassy object 1–30 mm in size, usually dark green, brown, or black. Tektites are scattered over certain areas of the Earth’s surface, often in vast strewn fields. They are 0.75–65 million years old and have a variety of shapes, including spheroids, dumbbells, droplets, lenses, and disks. The word ‘tektite’ is derived from the Greek word tektos, meaning ‘melted’. They were probably formed from molten material splashed into space by meteorite impacts on Earth. This material later condensed into droplets and re-entered the atmosphere, undergoing ablation. Tektites are named according to the area in which they are found, for example australites (Australia and Tasmania), bediasites (Texas, USA), billitonites (Billiton Island, Indonesia), georgiaites (Georgia, USA), indochinites (former Indo-China), malaysianites (Malaysia), moldavites (Czech Republic), and philippinites (Philippine Islands).