Martian Meteorites
TOUCH MARS!
The Mineralogy Museum has received two donations of the same fragment of the Martian meteorite NWA 8656: a 9.88-gram fragment donated by ABC Mines and a 1.18-gram fragment donated by Labenne Météorites. Both are displayed in a dedicated showcase, and one of them is a touchable specimen. Two other meteorites were donated by Edwin Thompson to complete the collection of Shergottite-type Martian meteorites.
Martian meteorite NWA 8656
The NWA 8656 meteorite, like the NWA 8657—another fragment of the same Martian meteorite—was discovered in Western Sahara in 2014 by nomads. These nomads know this terrain very well—with its light-colored, vegetation-free soil—and have been searching it in groups for meteorites for years.
The Martian meteorite NWA 8656 consists of multiple stones with a total weight of over 1,600 grams. These Martian meteorites have lost most of their fusion crust after their long stay in the desert, exposed to the extremely abrasive sandstorm winds.
When cut open, the interior is granular and greenish-gray; maskelynite is clearly visible in the form of translucent grains and is very abundant. Dark pockets and veins of fusion glass are also observable, resulting from impacts on Mars and likely from the impact that ejected this rock from the Martian surface. NWA 8656 is a Martian meteorite belonging to the shergottite group with a so-called diabase texture. The rock consists primarily of clinopyroxene crystals and maskelynite (shocked plagioclases). The meteorite’s Martian origin has been confirmed by oxygen isotope analysis as well as by the iron-to-manganese (Fe/Mn) ratio.
Outer portion (fusion crust) of a 9.88-gram slice of the Martian meteorite NWA 8656, donated by ABC Mines (ENSMP 83439; 2.9 x 2.6 x 1.3 cm).
Internal section (sawn) of a 9.88-gram slice of the Martian meteorite NWA 8656, donated by ABC Mines (ENSMP 83439; 2.9 x 2.6 x 1.3 cm).
A 1.18-gram slice of the Martian meteorite NWA 8656, discovered in the Sahara Desert and donated by Labenne Météorites (ENSMP 83440; 1.8 x 1.1 x 0.2 cm).
Martian meteorites NWA 6963 and NWA 8716
To complete the collection of shergottite-type Martian meteorites, meteorite hunter Edwin Thompson donated two specimens: the shergottites NWA 8716 (known as “Jrifiyaa”) and NWA 6963. The Martian meteorite NWA 6963 is a natural fragment, revealing both the crust and the green interior of the meteorite. The spectacular cross-section of the shergottite meteorite “Jrifiyaa” shows large, zoned olivine crystals embedded in a fine green matrix.
Shergottite NWA 6963, with its thin fusion crust (ENSMP 83541, 2.2 x 1.7 x 1.2 cm; 6.1 g). The interior is green and consists of abundant shock veins and maskelynite, while the fusion crust is thin. This Martian meteorite was discovered in 2011 by a Moroccan meteorite hunter near Oued Touflit, which has become a popular spot for meteorite hunting. This Martian meteorite was donated by Edwin Thompson.
Martian meteorite “Jrifiya,” donated by Edwin Thompson (NWA 8716, ENSMP 83491, 1.9 x 1.4 x 0.1 cm, 1.16 g). This shergottite features olivine crystals with an iron-rich core and darker, magnesium-rich rims, set in a fine matrix of pyroxene, maskelynite, chromite, and troilite. It was found in the Sahara Desert in 2014.
