Mesosiderites
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-B4
Country
Year found
1956
Mass
888.6 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 113g (2) 24.2g (3) 10.1g (4) 10.8g
This is 1 of 4 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite-B4. Search for specimens in the Smithsonian Institution collection (U.S.): Search for this meteorite in the Natural History Museum collection (U.K.): Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 25, Moscow (1962)
Name
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Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-A
Country
Year found
1921
Mass
12.2 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 4.7g
This is 1 of 3 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite-A. Search for specimens in the Smithsonian Institution collection (U.S.): Search for this meteorite in the Natural History Museum collection (U.K.): Search for this meteorite in the Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide database (Siena, Italy): Never published in the Meteoritical Bulletin
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite
Country
Year found
2023
Mass
32.71 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 5.40g
History: Purchased by a consortium of collectors (including Brian Caress, Robert Ward and Craig Zlimen) in January 2023 from an Algerian dealer. Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS, and J. Boesenberg, BrownU) Breccia containing relatively large mineral fragments (up to 5 mm) of olivine, orthopyroxene and metal (~60 vol.%, both kamacite with taenite) plus some mafic lithic clasts with intergranular or microgabbroic textures. Minerals in lithic clasts and elsewhere in the matrix of the specimen include pigeonite, anorthite, silica polymorph, chromite, ilmenite, merrillite and troilite. Geochemistry: Orthopyroxene (Fs19.0-33.9Wo0.1-4.6, FeO/MnO = 19-30, N = 16), pigeonite (Fs27.0-35.7Wo5.7-8.5, FeO/MnO = 21-27, N = 4), olivine (Fa19.1-19.4, FeO/MnO = 41-43, N = 3), diopside (Fs1.3Wo47.7, FeO/MnO = 17), anorthite (An90.9-93.7Or0.1-0.4, N = 5). Classification: Mesosiderite. Specimens: 100.3 g including one polished slice at UWB; remainder held jointly by Mr. B. Caress, Mr. R. Ward and Mr. C. Zlimen.
Name
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Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-A3
Country
Year found
1935
Mass
59 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 7.57g (2) 7.4g
This is 1 of 11 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite-A3. Search for specimens in the Smithsonian Institution collection (U.S.): Search for this meteorite in the Natural History Museum collection (U.K.): Never published in the Meteoritical Bulletin
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite
Country
Year found
2020
Mass
4.99 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 33.74g
History: Two stones totaling 4988 g were found near Adrar, Algeria. Carlos Muñecas Muñoz purchased the samples from a dealer in Morocco in 2020. Physical characteristics: Samples are dark brown in color, rounded, and lack fusion crust. Rounded metal nodules protrude through the surface. A cut face shows the interior is composed of a breccia containing: metal grains, cm-sized rounded metal nodules and silicate clasts (up to 4 cm) and mineral grains (up to 0.5 cm). Petrography: Description and Classification (A. Love, App): Sample is a breccia composed of (vol%): cm-sized rounded metal nodules (3); cm-sized rounded lithic clasts (10) with cumulate and brecciated textures, mineral clasts set within a matrix of poikiloblastic orthopyroxene plagioclase and silicates and metal (~35vol%). Modal percentages (vol%) of silicates (image thresholding of 20 backscattered electron images): orthopyroxene (60), plagioclase (31), olivine (5) and a lath-shaped silica polymorph (4). Matrix pyroxenes are inverted and show blebby and lamellar exsolution. Olivine shows well-developed reaction coronas some of which have replaced entire grains. Grain boundaries between silicates are sutured. Additional minerals are: kamacite, taenite, lath-shaped Si polymorph, apatite, troilite, chromite, trace ilmenite. Geochemistry: (A. Love, App) Olivine, Fa36.6±7.7 (Fa25.7-44.3, Fe/Mn=40.4±2.5, n=5); zoned low-Ca pyroxene, Fs30.8±2.5Wo2.1±0.7 (Fe/Mn=27.5±1.4, n=6); matrix, Fs37.5±1.3Wo3.2±0.1 (Fe/Mn=23.6±0.5, n=4); high-Ca pyroxene, Fs18.1±1.7Wo40.6±4.2 (n=3). Plagioclase, An92.4±0.4Or0.1±0.1 (n=5). Classification: Mesosiderite (estimated class) A3. Mesosiderite Class A based on texture, metal abundance, magnetic susceptibility and modal silicate abundance of plagioclase and Opx. Metamorphic class 3 based on recrystallization textures of silicates and absence of pigeonite. Specimens: Carlos Muñecas (Expometeoritos) holds the 2525 g main mass. A 24.46 g slice and polished mount are on deposit at App.
Name
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Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-C
Country
Year found
2003
Mass
17 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 6.1g
This is 1 of 9 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite-C. Published in Meteoritical Bulletin, no. 88, MAPS 39, A215-A272 (2004)
Name
*click on the Name for more information
Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-A4
Country
Year found
2014
Mass
22.3 kg
[Museum Collection]
(1) 104.3g
History: A single stone was purchased by anonymous dealer from nomads. Physical characteristics: The 22.3 kg stone has isometric shape. A surface is dark brown. Fusion crust is not preserved. Petrography: The meteorite is composed of (vol%) silicate matrix (71.8) and metal (28.2). The silicate matrix is medium-grained rock of poikilo-ophitic texture. The rock composes of anhedral and subhedral grains of pyroxene (34.9) surrounded by anhedral and subhedral grains of feldspar (38.5), pyroxene, metal (8.7) and prismatic needles of silica phase (17.9). Larger pyroxene grains poikilitically enclose the grains of all other phases. Minor phases are troilite, schreibersite, chromite, ilmenite and phosphate. The meteorite contains minor large xenocrysts of pyroxene, xenoliths of pyroxenites, metal nodules and rare metal veins connecting the large metal grains. Geochemistry: Pyroxene: Fs33.9-39.0Wo1.8-3.7 (average Fs37.3Wo2.9; Fe/Mn=24) and Fs15.0-18.1Wo41.1-42.8 (average Fs17.2Wo41.9; Fe/Mn=18.6), feldspar An85.2-90Ab9.8-14.4. Xenocrystic pyroxenes are zoned Fs30.0Wo2.1 (core) – Fs35.7Wo2.7 (rim) (average Fe/Mn=29). Pyroxenite xenoliths: Px is Fs20.8Wo1.2 (Fe/Mn=30), interstitial Px is Fs24.7Wo2.3 (Fe/Mn=30.3), feldspar An84.4-93.5Ab6.3-14.9. Classification: Mesosiderite-A4. Minimal weathering. Specimens: A type specimen of 118.95 g and five thick polished sections are on deposit at Vernad. Anonymous dealer holds a main mass.
Name
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Structure Class
Stony-Iron
Chemical Class
Mesosiderite-A1
Country
Year found
1861
Mass
3.83 t
[Museum Collection]
(1) 122.4g
This is 1 of 7 approved meteorites classified as Mesosiderite-A1. Search for specimens in the Smithsonian Institution collection (U.S.): Search for this meteorite in the Natural History Museum collection (U.K.): Search for this meteorite in the Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide database (Siena, Italy): Never published in the Meteoritical Bulletin