NWA 7676 LL3 Meteorite
Location: Northwest Africa
Find / Fall: Find 2012
Classification: Chondrite LL3
Total Known Weight: 1050g
The NWA 7676 meteorite was reported to have been a single oriented stone, but it is no longer. No one seems to understand why people smash beautiful meteorites up but this is apparently another case of one that was turned into fragments by the finder. NWA 7676 was not a witnessed fall but seems to be just material from a single stone. Sometimes hundreds or even thousands of pieces arrive from space in one event other times only one or two meteorites hit the ground. NWA 7676 was found in 2010 and bought at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show about two years later.
NWA 7676 is a type LL3.5 chondrite which means that it has little free metal showing as metallic iron grains and it also is low in the iron contained in the minerals of the stone. The 3.5 indicates what is seen upon examination that the chondrules are distinct. They are also closely packed together. The meteorite is quite fresh and was classified with a W1 weathering stage meaning it has not changed much since landing. NWA 7676 has a light gray color mostly. The meteorite received a low shock stage of S2 indicating that it has not suffered too much banging around in its long life in space.
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