LUNAR ROCK - Northwest Africa 6148 MARTIAN METEORITE

Northwest Africa 6148 Martian Meteorite

Complete main mass of NWA 6148.

Official Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Northwest Africa 6148:

Northwest Africa 6148
     Morocco
     Find: 2009
     Martian meteorite (nakhlite)

History and appearance: Two stones that weigh 270 g and fit together, were purchased in Erfoud, Morocco in 2009 By A. Aaronson.
Petrography: (T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU): Millimeter-size euhedral augite and olivine (relative proportions, 85:15) are set in a glassy mesostasis of dendritic pyroxenes, acicular Ti-magnetite, and small grains of silica, feldspar, and phosphate. Olivine and augite are strongly zoned. Weathering and shock are both low.
Geochemistry: Augite: cores, Fs _23.2Wo ₄₂ (FeO/MnO = 34); rims to Fa _41.5Wo₃₈. Olivine: cores, Fa 58 (FeO/MnO = 45); rims to Fa _74.5. Mesostasis feldspar, An _{12.3 – 16.7} Or ₅.
Classification: Martian meteorite (nakhlite); paired with NWA 5790.
Specimens: A total of 20.2 g and one thin section are on deposit at UWB. Mr. P. Mani holds the main mass.

Scientific abstracts and news regarding NWA 6148:

C.-Y. Shih, L. E. Ny-quist, Y. Reese, and A. Jambon.
(2010). Sm-Nd ISOTOPIC STUDIES OF TWO NAKHLITES, NWA 5790 AND NAKHLA. (abs#1367).
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/1367.pdf

T. Tomkinson, M. R. Lee, D. F. Mark and F. M. Stuart.
(2012). TERRESTRIAL ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CONTAMINATION OF THE NWA 5790 NAKHLITE. (abs#5248).
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2012/pdf/5248.pdf

L. Huber, A. J. Irving, C. Maden and R. Wieler.
(2012). NOBLE GAS COSMIC RAY EXPOSURE AGES OF FOUR UNUSUAL MARTIAN METEORITES:
SHERGOTTITES NWA 4797, NWA 5990, NWA 6342 AND NAKHLITE NWA 5790. (abs#1408).
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2012/pdf/1408.pdf

250.99 gram uncut mass of NWA 6148 - View 1.		250.99 gram uncut mass of NWA 6148 - View 2.