In late 2022, a meteorite strewnfield was discovered near Saguia el Hamra in Western Sahara. Numerous small wind-polished stones were recovered and samples were sent to Dr. Tony Irving at UWS for analysis. The samples were classified as olivine phyric shergottite from Mars. The specimens have a dark exterior with a mottled grey matrix.
The specimen offered here is a small broken individual that shows both the exterior and the matrix. It weighs approx. .217g (217mg).
Refer to the photos. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing the specimen shown. Your purchase will include a labeled gemjar for safe storage.
From the Meteoritical Bulletin entry on Amgala 001 :
Amgala 001 26.014°N, 11.020°W
Saguia el Hamra, Western Sahara
Purchased: 2022 Dec
Classification: Martian meteorite (Shergottite)
History: Multiple stones were found together in December 2022 near Meharrize. Said Muftah Bachir and Ziyao Wang bought 12 kg together from the finders, including the largest 5200 g individual; Mark Lyon acquired 19165 g from two different dealers; Aziz Habibi obtained 3500 g from another dealer.
Physical characteristics: Weathered exterior surfaces of the stones are brown with a distinctive knobby appearance. Fresh interiors are greenish-gray with darker olivine phenocrysts visible.
Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS, and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Zoned olivine phenocrysts (up to 2 mm in length) are set in a groundmass with variable grainsize composed predominantly of prismatic, zoned clinopyroxene and lath-like maskelynite, together with accessory alkali feldspar, pyrrhotite, ulvöspinel, chromite (with variable Ti content), ilmenite, baddeleyite and chlorapatite. Thin opaque shock veins crosscut the specimen as well as secondary calcite veinlets. Olivine phenocrysts contain small patches of alteration products (red-brown in thin section).
Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa31.7-56.6, FeO/MnO = 52-55, N = 5), pigeonite (Fs27.7-48.4Wo10.4-9.8, FeO/MnO = 29-35, N = 3), subcalcic augite (Fs20.7-30.4Wo32.5-34.6, FeO/MnO = 28-32, N = 2), maskelynite (An47.4-50.5Or2.2-1.7, N = 2), alkali feldspar (Ab49.4Or34.0An16.7).
Classification: Shergottite (olivine-phyric).
