This meteorite display features a sample of a meteorite from the planet Mars! - a small sample of shergottite that was recovered from the remote Saharan desert.
This Martian-origin meteorite was blasted off the surface of Mars millions of years ago. The source Martian bedrock was a deep basaltic magmatic rock. The impact ejection mechanism was so violent, that the resulting meteorites are highly shocked and contain pockets of melt glass and blackened glass veins.
The meteorite specimen is encased in a clear acrylic gemjar which is placed inside a handsome display box that has a black pebblegrain finish and a glass viewing window. The Mars Rock can be removed from the case. The display has a color photo of a NASA Mars Rover on it, and would make the ideal gift for the science or astronomy geek. This would also make a fine outreach or educational prop and it would look great on display in the office or observatory.
Refer to the photo. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. Your specimen will be a small fragment of this meteorite similar to the one shown in the photo. Each specimen is unique and will vary slightly in appearance. The display box measures approx. 3 inches by 4 inches (75mm by 100mm).
From the Meteoritical Bulletin entry on NWA 13227 :
(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2019 Nov
Classification: Martian meteorite (Shergottite)
History: Purchased in November 2019 from a Moroccan dealer.
Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Coarse grained (gabbroic) assemblage of zoned clinopyroxene (up to 3.5 mm), olivine (some as inclusions in clinopyroxene) and curvilinear, lath-like maskelynite (~15 vol.%), together with accessory Mg-ilmenite, Cr-ulvöspinel, pyrrhotite, baddeleyite, merrillite and chlorapatite. Minor veinlets of secondary calcite are present.
Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa35.5-51.6, FeO/MnO = 50-55, N = 11), pigeonite cores (Fs25.6-28.2Wo5.2-9.3, FeO/MnO = 28-33, N = 6), subcalcic augite rims (Fs21.5-21.6Wo31.3-31.8; Fs28.0Wo26.9; FeO/MnO = 27-30, N = 3), pigeonite rims (Fs34.6-36.6Wo12.3-15.7, FeO/MnO = 30-33, N = 3), maskelynite (An51.7-57.1Or1.8-2.8, N = 4).
Classification: Shergottite (olivine gabbroic).
