Jikharra 001 is a rare eucrite melt breccia type recovered from a large strewnfield in the Libyan Sahara in 2022. Thousands of broken fragments were found scattered across a wide area in the northeastern part of the country. Samples were analyzed and classified as Vestan eucrites. This meteorite has a characteristic tan ground mass with scattered clasts. Because it is a melt type, the material is quite hard for a eucrite and takes a good polish.
The specimen offered here is a professionally prepared slice that has a mirror-polish on one side. It weighs approx. 10.13 grams.
Refer to the photo. The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included. You are purchasing the specimen shown. Your purchase will include an ID label.
From the Meteoritical Bulletin entry on Jikharra 001 :
Jikharra 001 29°58’08.2’’ N, 21°52’05.0’’ E
Ajdabiya, Libya
Purchased: 2022
Classification: HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia)
History: Numerous fragments reportedly totalling at least 2.5 metric tons, and possibly more that 3 T, were recovered in Northeastern Libya. Fifty kg of it were subsequently purchased by the main mass holder from a meteorite dealer in Libya.
Physical characteristics: Many brownish fragments some of which with small patches of fusion crust.
Petrography: Achondritic melt breccia composed of several cm-sized lithic clasts set in abundant recrystallized shock melt. Lithic clasts consist of calcic plagioclase and aggregates of fine-grained, 30-70 µm sized pigeonite crystals displaying patchy compositional zoning. The melt matrix is composed of recrystallized pigeonite displaying mottled compositional zoning and fine-grained, mostly fibrous feldspar. Minor phases include silica, Ti-chromite, ilmenite, and FeS. No metallic iron has been detected.
Geochemistry: patchily zoned pigeonite: Fs50.1±1.5Wo11.6±1.7 (Fs48.1-53.4Wo6.9-13.3, FeO/MnO=27-31, n=12); calcic plagioclase: An90.2±0.7 (An88.9-91.3, n=10)
