Northwest Africa 14805 (NWA 14805)
Place of discovery: Algeria
Purchased: 2021
Classification: Carbonaceous chondrite (CO3)
History: Found in 2021 close to Hassi Messaoud in Algeria. Bought by Isabelle Pothier from Yunès Chaoui, a moroccan dealer who had bought the material from an Algerian dealer.
Physical characteristics: Brown stone. Cut surface reveals small chondrules in a greenish/brownish abundant matrix.
Petrography: (J. Gattacceca, CEREGE) Chondrules with average chondrule apparent diameter 230±110 µm (n=32), and CAIs (to 500 µm) set in a fine grained iron-rich matrix (45 vol.% by point counting, n=143). Chondrule mesostasis is devitrified. Opaque minerals are Fe,Ni metal (almost entirely weathered), troilite, and their weathering products.
Geochemistry: Olivine Fa26.9±16.2, range Fa1.1-46.3, (n=25) Cr2O3 in ferroan olivine 0.13±0.13 wt% (n=22). Low-Ca pyroxene Fs5.7±1.6Wo2.6±1.2 (n=5).
Specimens: Type specimen at CEREGE. Main mass with Isabelle Pothier.
Mass (g): 481
Pieces: 10
Class: CO3
Weathering grade: high
Classifier: J. Gattacceca, CEREGE
Main mass: Isabelle Pothier
