Nova 059

(unknown)

Find: 2016

Classification: Iron meteorite (IAB-MG)

History: This meteorite was reportedly discovered by Ingo Klümper, Brandlecht, while he was searching with metal detector in 5 cm depth beside a forest path SW of Nordhorn/Lower Saxony (52°22.696’N, 7°05.919’E) on Feb. 27, 2016. However, a find in eolian sand is neither consistent with very high accumulation of U (see below), which requires a much higher terrestrial age than the embedding sediment, nor with crack fillings of carbonates. Noble gas isotopes and radionuclides require a very large crater-forming object. Therefore this report is in doubt.

Physical characteristics: (R. Bartoschewitz Bart) One iron piece of about 7.5 × 4 × 3 cm and 370 g.

Petrography: (R. Bartoschewitz Bart) The meteorite shows a bulky coarse Widmannstätten pattern with bandwidth of 2-5 mm with Neumann lines and rhabdite. Graphite, troilite and schreibersite occur on kamacite boundaries. Corrosion cracks filled with Fe-hydroxides and carbonates.

Geochemistry: (R. Bartoschewitz Bart) Chemistry (M. Humayun, Univ. of Florida Tallahassee by laser ablation ICP-MS, standards Odessa, Toluca, Staunton, Dungannon) Co = 0.47, Ni = 5.99 (both in wt.%); Cu = 104, Ga = 88, Ge = 398, As = 13, Sb = 0.33, Ir = 3.38, Au = 1.52 (all in ppm). Radionuclides (M. Laubenstein, INFN Gran Sasso) ²⁶Al (<0.10 dpm/kg) reflects a preatmospheric radius of >85 cm and sample depth of >40 cm. ²³⁸U (2.1±0.2 ng/g) likely due to terrestrial contamination. Noble gas isotopes (K. Nagao, KOPRI Incheon) cosmogenic ³He/²¹Ne = 94.

Classification: (R. Bartoschewitz, Bart): Iron (IAB MG, coarse octahedrite), possibly a piece of Campo del Cielo.

Specimens: 21.5 g on deposit at Kiel, main mass with Ingo Klümper and 122 g with Bart.