Mount Tazerzait meteorite. L5 chondrite. Observed fall
Mount Tazerzait meteorite. L5 chondrite. Observed fall
| Observed fall | Niger, 21 August 1991 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 14,7 grams |
$90
Out of stock
Description
In the afternoon of August 21, 1991 a fireball followed by a loud explosion and long smoke was witnessed by a young nomad in north-western desert of Niger. The boy on his 7th birthday, was at the foot of Mt. Tazerzait in the north-eastern Tamesna, Niger. The boy later found an impact pit with a big, half buried black rock at its center. The next day the boy and his brothers went to the place and estimated the weight of the rock to be around 110 kilos. Since they had no means to transport it, they broke the rock into small pieces.
Their story was unbelieved or ignored until a person gave credit, purchased the rocks and sent them for analysis and classification in Switzerland and Germany.
Despite Mount Tazerzait is an ordinary chondrite, it shows an interesting lithology. Contrary to most other ordinary chondrites Mt. Tazerzait displays very little if any impact induced shock alteration. It must have been separated from its mother body very smoothly without any catastrophic event that could have caused alterations. It also has an unusually high porosity of 12,6%, with numerous vugs in its matrix.
Mount Tazerzait is strikingly similar to Baszkówka from Poland. Both are high in porosity, L5 chondrites, they have the same Fa/Fs contents, low degree of shock, long cosmic exposure age, noble gas abundance and both fell at the end of August (Baszkówka in 1994).
For sale a slice of the Mount Tazerzait meteorite.
Certificate of authenticity included. IMCA 5591.
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