26 - NWA ‘Chondrite’ Meteorite

NWA ‘Chondrite’ Meteorite This "Chondrite" meteorite was found in the North West African grid of the Sahara Desert, one of the largest documented meteorite showers of all time. The meteorite is a breccia, a rock composed of many small inclusions that have experienced different degrees of metamorphic heating within its parent asteroid. Some material (primitive type-3 chondrite fragments) largely escaped heating and still retain unmetamorphosed textures and compositions; other materials (type-6 chondrite fragments) have been extensively heated and recrystallized. Because it contains such fragments, it is classified as an L3-6, the “L” indicating a relatively low amount of free iron. Weight: ca. 906 gram. LOCATION: North West African grid of the Sahara Desert. Size: ca. 12 x 9.5 x 7 cm. CERITIFICATE: This Chondrite meteorite, comes with a certificate of meteorite identification from the University of Alberta and is signed by dr. Christopher Herd, professor and curator of the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection. NOTE: – To keep track of different meteorite specimens a nomenclature system had to be created, and this resulted in meteorites being named by a panel of scientists for the locality from where the meteorites were recovered. Meteorites are named after towns, cities and counties as well as lakes, rivers, mountains, streams and more. Where there is no distinct geographic feature — say in a desert — meteorites are named after the designated collection appended with specific number. For example a meteorite with the number NWA 500 is the 500th meteorite to be recovered, analyzed and published following its recovery in the North West African grid of the Sahara Desert.