Hello, up for sale is NWA 14607  Martian Shergottite, Unique Evolved Pyroxene-phyric Basalt!!! This gorgeous part-slice weighs 0.961 grams, with a luscious light brown color and perfect polish to one side. This is an extremely rare and highly shocked meteorite from the planet Mars, found near Adrar Algeria in January 2021. History: Two stones weighing 621.68 grams and 194.60 grams were found in January 2021 near the city of Adrar, Algeria. They were purchased by Matthew Stream in 2022 by an Algerian dealer. Specimens from Planet Mars are the most rare and expensive meteorites, and more recently, they are becoming extremely difficult to find. Thanks for your interest and take care. It comes with a COA card and display case.

CLASSIFICATION:

Martan Shergottite; Evolved pyroxene-phyric basalt.

Name: Northwest Africa 14607

     This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.

Abbreviation: NWA 14607

Observed fall: No

Year found: 2022

Country: Algeria

Mass: 816 g

Northwest Africa 14607 (NWA 14607)

Algeria

Find: 2021

Classification: Martian meteorite (Shergottite)

History: Purchased by Matthew Stream from Bashir Saleck in 2022. Two identically appearing stones (621.7 + 194.6 g) were found together near Adrar, Algeria, in January 2021.

Physical characteristics: Dark brown, sandblasted exterior with remnants of fusion crust. Fresh chipped surface reveals the presence of shiny macroscopic maskelynite.

Petrography: (A. Ross and C. Agee, UNM) The two major phases in this meteorite are clinopyroxene and maskelynite. Ubiquitous minor phases are merrillite, apatite, titanomagnetite, ilmenite and troilite. The clinopyroxene has a modal abundance of approximately 65%, with significant core to rim zoning indicating an igneous crystallization trend with compositional zoning trends with sub-calcic augite and ferro-pigeonite clusters, Mg-rich orthopyroxene and Mg-Rich pigeonite compositions are absent. Clinopyroxene average grain size is approximately 300-500 μm. Maskelynite has modal abundance of approximately 25%, most grains are thin and elongate with maximum length ~1 mm. Silica-rich melt inclusions observed in maskelynite. Trace fayalite was detected.

Geochemistry: (A. Ross and C. Agee, UNM) Clinopyroxene (all) Fs49.8±24.1Wo22.3±8.5. Fe/Mn=35±6, n=20; sub-calcic augite Fs25.9Wo32.3±2.3, Fe/Mn=30±3, n=7; ferro-pigeonite Fs74.9±4.3Wo15.2±2.4, Fe/Mn=41±2, n=9; maskelynite An48.4±4.7Ab47.8±3.7Or3.8±1.0, n=6; silica-rich inclusions SiO2=79.1±1.2, Al2O3=12.0±1.4, CaO=1.2±0.3, Na2O=3.6±0.4, K2O=1.9±0.6 (wt%), n=2; fayalite Fa94.2, Fe/Mn=61.

Classification: Evolved pyroxene-phyric shergottite basalt.

Specimens: 20 g plus a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Matthew Stream holds the main masses.

Data from:

  MB111

  Table 0

  Line 0:

Place of purchase:Northwest Africa

Date:2021

Mass (g):816.2

Pieces:2

Class:Martian (shergottite)

Shock stage:high

Weathering grade:moderate

Fayalite (mol%):94.2

Ferrosilite (mol%):49.8±24.1

Wollastonite (mol%):22.3±8.5

Classifier:C. Agee, UNM

Type spec mass (g):20

Type spec location:UNM

Main mass:Matthew Stream

Comments:Field name BAS-16; submitted by C. Agee

1.1.4.13.1 Shergottites

The shergottites are the most abundant (50 out of 61) and the most diverse of the Martian meteorite subgroups. They are commonly divided into three types: basaltic, lherzolitic, and olivine–phyric (or olivine–orthopyroxene–phyric) shergottites.

Basaltic shergottites consist predominantly of clinopyroxene (pigeonite and augite) and plagioclase (now shock-produced glass or maskelynite), and have basaltic or diabasic textures. The absence of olivine in these rocks and their low mg# (23–52) indicate that they crystallized from fractionated magmas (Stolper and McSween, 1979). Many of them (including the type shergottite, Shergotty) contain cumulus pyroxene, and have strongly foliated textures suggesting crystal accumulation in near-surface dikes or lava flows (McCoy et al., 1992a,b; Stolper and McSween, 1979). However, some (e.g., QUE 94201 and Los Angeles) have higher plagioclase contents and may represent magma compositions (McKay et al., 2002; McSween et al., 1996; Rubin et al., 2000).

Lherzolitic shergottites are magnesian (mg# ~70) olivine–clinopyroxene–chromite cumulates, dominated by coarse-grained poikilitic pigeonite enclosing rounded olivine (and chromite) crystals, with interstitial areas of finer-grained, FeO-rich olivine, pigeonite, augite, maskelynite, and other late phases (Ikeda, 1997; McSween et al., 1979a,b; Treiman et al., 1994). McSween et al. (1979a,b) noted that the dominant mineralogy of these rocks is consistent with early crystallization from magmas having the crystallization sequence inferred for basaltic shergottites such as Shergotty. This led to their classification as shergottites. Some authors, however, feel that they should be referred to simply as Martian lherzolites (e.g., Treiman et al., 1994).

• EET 79001 is a unique shergottite consisting of two lithologies (designated A and B) separated by an obvious contact (Figure 43(a)). Lithology B is a clinopyroxene–plagioclase rock resembling the basaltic shergottites. Lithology A, however, is distinct from either the basaltic or the lherzolitic shergottites. It has a porphyritic texture consisting of megacrysts of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromite, in a finer-grained pigeonite–plagioclase groundmass. Four new shergottites (e.g., Dar al Gani 476 and Sayh al Uhaymir 005 (Figure 43(b))) consist entirely of olivine–porphyritic lithologies resembling EET 79001 lithology A. These meteorites have been referred to by various terms, including basaltic shergottite (on the basis of plagioclase content), transitional shergottite, or mixed shergottite, but are currently called olivine–phyric shergottites to emphasize their differences from basaltic shergottites such as Shergotty or QUE 94201 and avoid genetic implications (Goodrich, 2002).