Classification Data
NWA 2969
Northwest Africa
Purchased 2005 August
Martian (olivine-phyric shergottite)
Approximately two dozen, very small stones < 15 mm and > 2.5 mm in longest dimension, for a total weight of 11.7g, were collected in the general area where shergottites NWA 1068/1110/2373 were found. Description and classification (T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU): subangular to subrounded complete to partial stones with little or no fusion crust. Olivine phenocrysts (<1.5 mm in longest dimension) set in a fine-grained groundmass of pigeonite, maskelynite, chromite, Ti-magnetite, augite, chlorapatite and sulfide. Olivine has cores of Fa31.7 (FeO/MnO = 50-54.5) and rims of Fa50.3 (FeO/MnO = 54-57). Pigeonite is zoned from Fs36.3Wo8.1 to Fs44Wo12.7 (FeO/MnO = 26); augite is Fs22.5Wo28.4; maskelynite, An53.1Or2.2. Chromite, cr# = 87, fe# = 89.7. Overall texture, mineral content and mineral compositions, together with the find site location, strongly suggest that these stones are paired with NWA 1068/1110/2373. Specimens: type specimen, 2.3 g and one thin section, NAU; main mass, Birdsell.
NWA 2969
Northwest Africa
Purchased 2005 August
Martian (olivine-phyric shergottite)
Approximately two dozen, very small stones < 15 mm and > 2.5 mm in longest dimension, for a total weight of 11.7g, were collected in the general area where shergottites NWA 1068/1110/2373 were found. Description and classification (T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU): subangular to subrounded complete to partial stones with little or no fusion crust. Olivine phenocrysts (<1.5 mm in longest dimension) set in a fine-grained groundmass of pigeonite, maskelynite, chromite, Ti-magnetite, augite, chlorapatite and sulfide. Olivine has cores of Fa31.7 (FeO/MnO = 50-54.5) and rims of Fa50.3 (FeO/MnO = 54-57). Pigeonite is zoned from Fs36.3Wo8.1 to Fs44Wo12.7 (FeO/MnO = 26); augite is Fs22.5Wo28.4; maskelynite, An53.1Or2.2. Chromite, cr# = 87, fe# = 89.7. Overall texture, mineral content and mineral compositions, together with the find site location, strongly suggest that these stones are paired with NWA 1068/1110/2373. Specimens: type specimen, 2.3 g and one thin section, NAU; main mass, Birdsell.
The following are the only specimens of NWA 2969 available anywhere. Once they are gone that is it:
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Incredible 5.3703 gram crusted main mass* of NWA 2969! Price: SOLD!
*For those of you not familiar with the term 'Main Mass' means, it refers to the largest specimen of the individual meteorites that make up the NWA 2969 grouping. It does not necessarily mean that this is the largest individual from the presumed fall, and it is most likely that the largest individual from this fall is the main mass of NWA 1068.
