Sahara 02501

Ti Hedjirine, Sahara

Found 2002 May

Achondrite (Eucrite)

One single massive (3960 g) round-tetrahedral shaped stone with glassy black fusion crust (75 % of surface), deep regmaglypts well marked on 3 faces, was discovered in the Sahara by a meteorite prospector. Petrography and Mineralogy: (A. Jambon, O. Boudouma, H. Chennaoui-Aoudjehane UPVI): This very fresh rock has an overprinted glomerophyric texture, finely and highly fractured and partly molten. Modal mineralogy: pyroxene 53±2%; plagioclase: 46.3±1.4%; silica: 4±2% evaluated from 25 SEM frames covering one cm². Mineralogy: Fe-rich subhedral pyroxene up to 600 μm in length. Average composition: En₂₈Fs₅₇Wo₁₅,  FeO/MnO =32±3. (range : En₂₅Fs₃₂Wo₄₂ to En₂₈ Fs₆₉Wo₃). Pyroxene is zoned with Wo poor cores and fine exsolution bands. Plagioclase:  An₈₆Ab₁₂Or₂ (from An₉₁ to An₇₉). Plagioclase laths are  about 300μm long, and partly recrystallised. Ilmenite, silica are irregularly distributed and associated with K-rich feldspathic glass (1.5% K₂O) with up to 9% FeO. Silica glass (90% SiO₂ plus a plagioclase fraction) is also present. Specimens type specimen UPVI: 1.7+1.0 +1.6 + 11.2 + 9.6 g. Main mass: Caillou Noir.