Meteorite Micro Visions by Tom Phillips

A Feature In Meteorite Times Magazine
by Tom Phillips and Martin Horejsi

NWA 2965 EL6/7 Enstatite Metachondrite.
Shown are examples of the "Ghost Chondrules".

One year ago, it was one of the rarest materials known. Now, (due to one good size find?) it seems to be showing up under nearly a dozen names that may be paired. I chose NWA 2965 because my supplier said it was and because the majority (by weight) of the material SEEMS to be classified under that name. I have exchanged emails with the owner of the main mass, a whopping 48 kilograms. He intends to slice it and I want pictures! He told me his share of this material is just over 100 kilograms total. My guess is he just got a lot of new friends?

Micrograph of the unusual lathe shaped graphite crystals in the matrix of this material.

NWA 4295 is visually identical and classified as the same EL6/7. The owners of this material state to have only 312 grams, however they acknowledge more than 70 kilograms in pairings. Other possible parings include NWA's 002, 1067, 4415 and 4416.

Additionally, it has been said to possibly be paired to NWA 2736 classified as a primitive Aubrite. If this is a large fall, one name will likely immerge as a standard.

Any way, IT'S GOT GHOSTS! Metachondrite. This material is in between a chondrite and an achondrite. Completely altered (recrystallized) with only relict chondrules remaining. Hence "Ghost chondrules". Some say, "just call it a primitive achondrite" while others say "If it has chondrules, it's a chondrite!". To make maters worse, many slices do not have any ghosts. In fact, the majority I have seen do not.

Martin and Dr. Stanley Love who is the lead author on an article about meteorites from Mercury.

A real cool meteorite that has the potential to further explain the formation of small planets but, in doing a little research, I found a Centerpiece article in Meteorite Magazine written by Russell Kempton. He opens up the idea that, the possibility exists that, Enstatite meteorites (a little drum roll here) come from Mercury. That's right Mercurian Meteorites! The explanation is fascinating but to involved for me to restate completely with out the use of Copy and Paste. Further, in a 1995 study by Love and Keil, the odds of a Mercurian Meteorite already in a meteorite collection was indicated at 10%.

This seemed way out there but after reading the article by Bill Cooke in the August meteorite issue of Astronomy titled The Great Interplanetary Rock Swap, I have a more open mind to the possibility.

Please email me with any corrections or further information. A lot of people want to know more!