AN ANGRITE - A METEORITE POSSIBLY FROM MERCURY. ...

Description

AN ANGRITE - A METEORITE POSSIBLY FROM MERCURY
NWA 2934 - A New and Possibly Unique Angrite
Algeria - Discovered 2004
Angrites are an exceptionally rare type of achondrite meteorite and are from a parent body much closer to the Sun than Earth. They were formed as the result of a very large impact which penetrated to the mantle of the parent body and mixed crust and mantle materials along with the impact body, thought to be a very large iron meteorite, resulting in the unique characteristics that only Angrites possess. Several mineralogical and structural characteristics point to Mercury as the origin for the Angrites, but the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mercury is the parent body. Thus, we can only hope that more of these exotic and extremely rare meteorites are found so that the source body can one day be definitively identified. Angrites are rarer than meteorites from the Moon or Mars and are likely the rarest and most desired class of meteorite from any large asteroid or planet.
This specimen is characterized by large polygonal grains of anorthite (purple and gray), shocked olivine (black) and spinel (ruby red and orange contai ned in a fine-grained matrix. This meteorite is quite beautiful in thin sections or reflected light with the ruby and orange colored grains of spinel standing out in sharp contrast to the other minerals. Indeed, this very thin slice will transmit light through the spinel crystals. A very interesting, attractive and exceptionally rare meteorite sample! The specimen represented here is a full slice measuring 22 x 21 x .5 mm thick and weighing 1.16 grams.

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