NWA 16279 ( 35,395 g )
Northwest Africa 16279 (NWA 16279)
(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2023 Sept
Classification: Rumuruti chondrite (R4)
History: The meteorite was purchased from a meteorite dealer in Morocco.
Physical characteristics: Twelve dark brownish fragments some of which partly covered with fusion crust.
Petrography: Breccia composed of up to 2.5 cm sized mostly angular type 4 and less abundant dark melt clast in type 4 matrix. Type 4 lithologies contain well-defined mostly rounded separated chondrules (apparent mean diameter about 400 µm) plus mineral fragments in abundant matrix dominated by Fe-rich olivine. Less abundant phases are Ca-pyroxene, low-Ca pyroxene, and sodic plagioclase. Opaques include troilite, pentlandite, and Ti-bearing chromite; no metal detected.
Geochemistry: olivine: Fa37.6±0.3 (Fa37.1-38.2, n=10); low-Ca pyroxene: Fs20.7±6.4Wo1.3±1.0 (Fs9.8-26.6Wo0.4-3.9, n=15); Ca-pyroxene: Fs9.8±0.6Wo46.8±0.7 (Fs8.7-10.6Wo45.9-47.9, n=7); feldspar (An9.0-11.9Ab87.2-90.1Or0.6-1.0, n=7)
Place of purchase: | Morocco |
Date: | P 2023 Sept |
Mass (g): | 1586 |
Pieces: | 12 |
Class: | R4 |
Shock stage: | S1 |
Weathering grade: | moderate |
Fayalite (mol%): | 37.6 |
Ferrosilite (mol%): | 20.7; 9.8 |
Wollastonite (mol%): | 1.3; 46.8 |
Classifier: | A. Greshake, MNB |
Type spec mass (g): | 31.7 |
Type spec location: | MNB |
Main mass: | Hanno Strufe and Abdelfattah Gharrad |
Comments: | Submitted by Ansgar Greshake |