Classification: Enstatite achondrite (Aubrite) S-high / W-low
Place/Time: 9 December 2021 in South, Morocco
Mass: 2.22kg
Physical characteristics: Six large pieces and many small fragments were recovered. The main mass is a 736 g complete stone, the other large pieces include: 507 g (broken), 310 g (complete), 209 g (complete), 130 g (broken), and 40 g (broken). Exterior is covered with multi-colored (green-orange-brown) fusion crust. Broken surfaces reveal a mild breccia of mm- to cm-sized fractured bright white pyroxene grains, elongate to stubby, permeated and bounded by shock-darken domains. Large pyroxenes include black material as needles or grain inclusions. Samples are fragile and easily broken. Magnetic susceptibility, measured on different stones, ranges from log χ (× 10-9 m3/kg) = 2.7 to log χ (× 10-9 m3/kg) = 3.6 (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC).
Petrography: (A. Ross and C. Agee, UNM) Backscatter electron image maps show that enstatite makes up ~90-95% of this meteorite. Scattered diopside and olivine grains were observed, and only a single albite grain was detected in the microprobe mount. A few aluminous silica polymorph grains were also found. Ubiquitous shock melt pockets and veinlets are present throughout, most of which are silica-rich or albitic, although some are diopsidic in composition, and some have minor amounts of sulfur. Detected sulfides include: troilite, Ti-troilite, Cr-troilite, Mn-troilite, ferroan alabandite, ferromagnesian alabandite, daubreelite, and oldhamite. Metals include kamacite and taenite; Si was below detection limits in both metals. Rare schreibersite was observed. Vesicular enstatitic fusion crust was observed by BSE, apparent thickness is ~100-300 μm.
