NWA 12269 (Paired) Martian Meteorite

Find / Fall: Found – 2018
Location: Northwest Africa
Classification: Martian (shergottite)
Total Known Weight: 1679g

NWA 12269 is a Martian meteorite, a survivor of an asteroid or comet impact on Mars which blasted the rock off that planet and into space. It is a member of the Shergottite family of Martian meteorites because it has a mineral nature similar to Shergotty a meteorite that fell in India in 1865. Sherottites are basaltic to Iherzolithic igneous rocks. NWA 12269 is a fine-grained olivine free meteorite. Getting blasted off another world causes most Martian meteorites to be highly shocked and that is the case with NWA12269. But unlike many other meteorites, NWA 12269 is only lightly weathered from its exposure on Earth.

NWA 12269 is an officially recognized meteorite and was classified in 2018 after a 1679 gram mass was purchased in Morocco. As is often the case other pieces of the same material from the same location are found. The pieces here exhibit the attractive grayish color and most have the dark crystal inclusions typical of this meteorite. The prepared slices have been smoothed to a low polish of 600 grit on one side and polished after even finer grinding to a high polish on the other side.

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About Martian Meteorite NWA 12269