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Martian meteorite, shergottite – SNC
Ghadamis, Libya (29.02° N, 10.97° W)
171 x 146 x 3 mm (6.75 x 5.75 x 0.1 in.)
213.6 grams (0.5 lbs)
Infinitely more rare than diamonds or gold, meteorites from Mars are among the most exotic substances on Earth — and far more rare than the Moon. Only 425 kg (935 lbs) is known to exist, all of which could easily fit in the trunk of a large car.
Scientists long suspected a group of meteorites with similarly unusual features had a planetary origin that wasn’t Earth, and it was believed these meteorites were either from Venus or Mars. Researchers correctly speculated an asteroid impact must have 'kicked' some of the material off one of the other planets, and as a result of the weaker gravity and thinner atmosphere of Mars (which meant less energy would be required to eject the specimens off the Martian surface), it was reasoned that these unusual meteorites more likely originated from Mars than Venus.
In 1995, the much sought-after smoking gun finally arrived. A suspected Martian meteorite contained impact glass, and researchers determined that within the glass there were tiny bubbles, and within these tiny bubbles were tiny amounts of gas. The gas was analyzed and it matched perfectly with the signature of the Martian atmosphere as revealed by NASA’s Viking space probes in the mid 1970s.
Wan Zawatin 002 has been authenticated by scientists of the Meteoritical Society — the foremost organization of meteorite researchers in the world. The cut and polished surface evidences light colored domains of pyroxene enclosing smaller darker olivines suspended in a groundmass of darker olivine. Electron probe analysis reveals this meteorite to be a plagioclase iherzolite with a poikilitic texture (where host crystals enclose crystals of different mineral or minerals). Major phases are pigeonite, augite, olivine and the impact glass maskelynite, which is unknown to occur on Earth except in select meteorites. As tremendous amounts of heat and pressure are required for maskelynite to form, this is consistent with a massive impact event on Mars which explains the delivery mechanism of Wan Zawatin 002 to Earth.
The analysis of this meteorite was conducted by Dr. Carl Agee, Director of the Institute of Meteoritics. The classification was published in the 111th edition of the Meteoritical Bulletin — the official registry of meteorites — which accompanies this offering.
Provenance: Dr. Lawrence Stifler Collection of Meteorites, Brookline, MA.
