Turgut        38°37.0163’N, 32°0.0962’E

Konya, Turkey

Found: April 1999

Classification: Iron meteorite (ungrouped)

History: A 152 kg piece of iron was discovered by Mr. Cemil Gunay in April 1999, while he was plowing a field. The specimen was 30 cm deep. Mr. Gunay took the specimen to his home where he attempted to cut it. He applied rust-proofing spray. It was then kept outside in a hot and dry environment in his garden for approximately 10 years, when the existence of the specimen was noted by Turkish meteorite collector Mesut Kasikci (a resident of France), who then informed academic research institutions about the find. The specimen was brought by Mesut Kasikci to Dr. Catherine Caillet Komorowski of the MNHNP.

Physical characteristics: The specimen measures approximately 40 × 60 × 25 cm and has a sculpted appearance, with large irregular cavities on one side and smooth regmaglypts on the other. Weathering is minimal.

Petrography: (C. Caillet Komorowski, MNHNP): SEM investigation reveals a well-developed Widmanstätten pattern consistent with a finest octahedrite. Plessite is common. Fractured schreibersite grains are present and represent about 1.3% of the mode. Sulfide, silicate, or graphite inclusions are absent. No tetrataenite was found, also confirmed by magnetic properties (P. Rochette, CEREGE). Lack of Neumann lines indicates relatively low shock. Electron microprobe analyses indicate that schreibersite contains high Ni (about 31.5 wt%). Kamacite contains 7.4-6.5 wt% Ni.

Geochemistry: Bulk composition: INAA data (J. Duke and C. Herd, UAb): Ni = 9.04±0.07 wt%, Co = 0.420±0.003 wt%; Ir = 2.15±0.03, Au = 0.434±0.009; Ga <0.8; As = 2.37±0.09; W = 1.03±0.04; Re = 0.17±0.01; Cr <15; Cu <21; Ge <60 (all μg/g). Magnetic Properties (P. Rochette, CEREGE): results indicate the absence of tetrataenite.

Classification: (C. Herd, UAb): Ungrouped, finest octahedrite. Ga content is too low for most irons with the exception of the IVA and IVB groups. However, Au is too low for IVA, and Ni is too low for IVB.

Specimens: Type specimen of 1626 g total at MNHNP consists of 1231 g and 394.8 g specimens, and a polished section. A 2.4 g specimen, used for INAA, and a 24.4 g specimen are at UAb. A 350 g specimen is at Istanbul Turkish University (Mehmet Özel). Main mass (140 kg) with finder; 9 kg specimen with Mesut Kasikci.