Northwest Africa 1654

Northwest Africa

Found 2002

Achondrite (eucrite)

A single stone of 49 g partly covered by fusion crust was found in 2002 by an anonymous finder in the Western Saharan desert and purchased in Zagora in 2002. Classification and mineralogy (A. Greshake, MNB; M. Kurz, Kurz): the meteorite is dominated by a recrystallized matrix of 10–20 µm-sized plagioclase, pigeonite with augite exsolution lamellae, and opaque phases; embedded into the matrix are large mineral fragments of plagioclase and Ca-pyroxene and basaltic clasts; plagioclase contains pigeonite and troilite inclusions; plagioclase composition, An88.5 (range An85.2–92.3); pigeonite composition, Fs50.3–60.6Wo5.6–15.2; augite composition, Fs29.7–47.4Wo20.2–41.5; minor phases include orthopyroxene (Fs57.9Wo4.3), silica, ilmenite, troilite, and Al-Ti-chromite. A low degree of shock and only a moderate degree of weathering. Main mass with the anonymous finder; type specimen, 11.3 g plus one polished thin section, MNB.