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Northwest Africa 5206 (NWA 5206)

Northwest Africa 5206 was discovered in Algeria during 2007 and purchased by a dealer in Erfoud, Morocco later in October 2007. The stone was a complete 1276g desert-weathered, brown stone. Hiding under this weathered exterior was one of the most primitive and highly unequilibrated ordinary chondrites ever discovered. NWA 5206 was to be later classified as an Ordinary Chondrite LL3.05 with a Shock Rating of S2 and a Weathering Level of W3. This meteorite is actually the first and only chondrite to receive an LL3.05 classification.

The classification makes mention of the closely packed pristine chondrules with many varieties present. However, Type I Chondrules (FeO-poor) are dominant over Type II (FeO-rich) by a ratio of 3:1. There are many chondrule textural types present in this meteorite including some unique types. Several heavily mantled chondrules have also been observed during study and an example of this is viewable in the 6.47g partslice below. A thin-section image showing a heavily mantled chondrule taken during study at Northern Arizona is also further down the page. There is another very rare feature in the partslice below which is a metallic chondrule. Hutchison (2004) said the following about this unusual feature:

"Metallic and metal-sulfide chondrules: some carbonaceous chondrites, notably the CR group, and the most unequilibrated (type 3) ordinary chondrites have subspherical metallic or metal-sulfide objects whose dendritic or polycrystalline textures indicate that they formed during rapid cooling from melts. Kamacite, with 3-7 wt% Nickel, usually is the dominant mineral. It may be accompanied by zoned taenite."


"Metal is usually accompanied by troilite in composite spherules within silicate chondrules, but the sulfide may constitute an entire spherule or, rarely, an entire chondrule. The spherules presumably separated from silicate melt as immiscible droplets of metal-sulfide liquid."

SEM imagery and x-ray mapping at 3000X magnification has shown no evidence that the homogeneous chondrule mesostasis has undergone devitrification further indicating the highly primitive nature of this meteorite. The classification also mentions that NWA 5206 may actually be more primitive than the given 3.05 subtype but until high quality analyses are performed on chondrule mesostasis for Potassium and Sodium contents and distributions, a subtype below 3.05 is not warranted at this time.

6.47g Partslice - MA.10.0009

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1381 (802KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice - Annotated Image
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice - Annotated Image
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1381 (809KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1337 (782KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice - Annotated Image
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1337 (787KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 6.47g Partslice
Enlargement ---> 1500 x 898 (338KB)

 

17.54g Complete Slice - MA.10.0010

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1369 (911KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice - Annotated Image
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1369 (922KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1353 (889KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice - Annotated Image
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1353 (898KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice Showing Black Inclusion
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1450 (802KB)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - 17.54g Complete Slice showing chondrule patch set in a black matrix.
Enlargement ---> 2000 x 1437 (952KB)

 

NWA 5206 - Other Photographs

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Heavily Mantled Chondrule
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Heavily Mantled Chondrule
(Copyright © Northern Arizona University)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
(Copyright © Marcin Cimala)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
(Copyright © Marcin Cimala)

NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
NWA 5206 (LL3.05) - Stone Before Slicing
(Copyright © Marcin Cimala)

 

 

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