NWA 869 Stone Meteorite Matched Pair

Northwest Africa (NWA) 869 stone chondrite (L3–6) meteorite, nicely cut into two matching halves with lapidary-finished faces. As a whole, the matched pair weighs 1.04 kilograms and measures approximately 116 mm x 71 mm x 60 mm. The fascinating NWA 869 meteorite, found in the year 2000 is, geologically, one of the more interesting stone meteorites available to collectors and has been described as a 'meteorite science classroom in a single rock.' It boasts a highly unusual classification, L 3–6, meaning it exhibits characteristics of different meteorite types (L3 through L6) within the same mass! It is almost as if dissimilar materials were crushed together into a new form. And, in fact, that may be exactly what happened.
NWA 869 is a regolith breccia. A regolith is a loose deposit that lies on top of solid rock and might comprise soil, dust and rock fragments. We see regoliths here on Earth, on the moon, and on some asteroids. On Earth, a regolith would likely form as a result of several different actions working together, such as the weathering of rock by freeze/thaw process, or wind abrasion, often in combination with plant roots expanding cracks in the rock. There are no plants on the moon, or the asteroids, so extraterrestrial regoliths are made by the impact of meteorites upon the surface of an asteroid, or the collision of asteroids. In other words, this regolith breccia is believed to be a composite of materials from multiple sources (meteorites / asteroids) that formed in space and later landed here on Earth, bringing its apocalyptic history with it.
This lot comprises two pieces that fit together. In order to produce them, a single mass of NWA 869, weighing approximately 1 kg (2 1/4 lbs) was cut in half in the laboratory and the two resulting flat faces were prepared on a diamond lap polishing wheel. The finished faces show numerous multi-billion-year-old chondrules—the building blocks of the rocky bodies of the solar system—of varying size and color. L3 denotes chondrules that have been little altered over time; L6 indicates chondrules that have been highly altered. In addition, the prepared faces present an abundance of tiny, extraterrestrial nickel-iron flecks. The exterior of the masses show remnant fusion crust—a dark and blackened rind that is a testament to its fiery journey through Earth’s atmosphere in the distant past.
A matching display pair that is hefty in size, beautiful in appearance, and intriguing in its unusual juxtaposition of multiple meteorite types. Accompanied by a specimen identification card from Aerolite Meteorites.
Format: Meteorite Matched Pair