Classification: Martian lherzolitic shergottite S-high / W-low
Place/Time: 2022 in Libya
Mass: 6.9kg
History: Mark Lyon and Robert Ward purchased this meteorite from Aziz Habibi in 2022. This meteorite was found approximately 90 km east of the Wafa Oil Field and 100 km south of the geyser hot springs at Wadi Harakat.
Physical characteristics: Single stone, exterior with patches of dark fusion crust and patches of brown-green from weathering and exposed interior minerology. Saw-cut surfaces reveal light colored domains of pyroxene poikilitically enclosing smaller darker olivines, and are bounded by groundmass darker olivine dominated zones.
Petrography: (C. Agee and A. Ross, UNM) Reflected light microscopy and electron microprobe analysis show this meteorite to be a plagioclase (maskelynite) lherzolite with a poikilitic texture. Major phases are pigeonite, augite, olivine, and maskelynite. Minor phases include chromite, Cr-Ti spinel, ilmenite, and troilite.
Geochemistry: (A. Ross, UNM) Olivine Fa30.9±0.9, Fe/Mn=54±3, n=5; pigeonite Fs23.0±2.7Wo5.3±2.9, Fe/Mn=30±3, n=7; augite Fs14.8±0.2Wo34.9±0.6, Fe/Mn=24±2, n=3; maskelynite An48.7±5.3Ab49.4±4.9Or1.8±0.4, n=4.
Classification: Martian lherzolitic shergottite (aka poikilitic shergottite). The poikilitic texture of this meteorite strongly resembles NWA 1950.
One side polished full slice. Once in a lifetime chance for slice this size and from one of the most exotic martians ever found.