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Northwest Africa 4459
Basic information Name: Northwest Africa 4459
     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 4459
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2006
Country: (Northwest Africa)
Mass:help 60.1 g
Classification
  history:
Meteoritical Bulletin:  MB 94  (2008)  L3
Recommended:  L3    [explanation]

This is 1 of 824 approved meteorites (plus 1 unapproved name) classified as L3.   [show all]
Search for other: L chondrites, L chondrites (type 3), Ordinary chondrites, and Ordinary chondrites (type 3)
Comments: Approved 8 Sep 2008
Writeuphelp
Writeup from MB 94:

Northwest Africa 4459

Algerian-Moroccan border

Find: June 2006

Ordinary chondrite (L3)

History: The sample was purchased in Erfoud by P. Thomas in June 2006.

Physical characteristics: A complete stone of 60.07 g, entirely covered with a very thin, slightly reddish, fusion crust.

Petrography: (M. Bourot-Denise, MNHNP) Sample displays a typical chondritic texture with small, round chondrules (100–200 μm in size) the major component. Matrix is abundant, little altered, and contains small metal grains. Large, rounded metal-sulfide nodules, which are slightly deformed and quite weathered occur in the matrix between chondrules. In BSE images the chondrite appears unequilibrated. Type I porphyritic chondrules contain FeO-poor olivines and low-Ca pyroxene, and FeO-rich silicates are only found in type II chondrules.

Geochemistry: Olivine, Fa12.0 ± 11.4, range Fa0.49–39.6, CaO up to 0.39, Cr2O3 in the range 0.11–0.76 (wt%); Low-Ca pyroxene, Fs7.7 ± 8.2, range Fs1.15–26.1. Magnetic susceptibility (J. Gattacceca, CEREGE) logχ = 4.32 (10-9 m3/kg) is consistent with an altered L chondrite.

Classification: Ordinary chondrite (L3, estimated subtype 3.3), weathering grade W3, shock stage S2.

Type specimens: A total of 14.4 g (1 sawn fragment) and one polished mount are on deposit at MNHN. PThomas holds the main mass.

Data from:
  MB94
  Table 2
  Line 27:
State/Prov/County:Algerian-Moroccan border
Date:2006
Mass (g):60.07
Pieces:1
Class:L3
Shock stage:S2
Weathering grade:W3
Fayalite (mol%):0.5-39.6
Ferrosilite (mol%):1.1-26.1
Magnetic suscept.:loggX=4.32 (lV
Classifier:M. Bourot-Denise, MNHNP
Type spec mass (g):14.4
Type spec location:MNHNP
Main mass:PThomas
Institutions
   and collections		 CEREGE: CEREGE BP 80 Avenue Philibert, Technopole de l'Arbois 13545 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 4 France, France (institutional address; updated 10 Jun 2023)
MNHNP: Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IMPMC-CP52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France, France; Website (institutional address)
MNHN: Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IMPMC-CP52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France, France; Website (institutional address)
PThomas: Philippe Thomas, Meteoritica, La Chave, 07690 St André en Vivarais, France (private address)
Catalogs:
References: Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 94, MAPS 43, 1551-1588 (2008)
Find references in NASA ADS:
Find references in Google Scholar:
Photos:
CreditPhotos
Photos from the Encyclopedia of Meteorites:
Don Edwards   
Geography: 
Coordinates:Unknown.

Statistics:
     This is 1 of 9429 approved meteorites from (Northwest Africa) (plus 1876 unapproved names)

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