Meteorite NWA 14131 – Eucrite (Vesta) 42g – Northwest Africa
Meteorite type: HED Achondrite/Eucrite
Locality: Northwest Africa
Weight: 42g
Dimensions: 7,7 x 3,4 x 1,3 cm
Year found: 2021
Total known weight: 5,5 kg
Surface treatment: none – raw
| Category: | Eucrites |
|---|---|
| By name: | NWA 14131 |
| ? Type: | Stony |
| Subspecies: | Achondrite |
| ? Surface treatment: | Natural (raw) |
| Packaging: | None |
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Jikharra 001 Meteorite – a Massive Eucrite from Asteroid Vesta
Jikharra 001 is a stony meteorite discovered in northeastern Libya in 2022. It is an HED-type achondrite, specifically a eucritic melt breccia. The total mass of recovered fragments exceeds 2.5 tons, making this discovery one of the largest known eucritic meteorites.
Jikharra 001 is composed of lithic fragments of plagioclase and pyroxene, embedded in a melt matrix formed by shock melting. These minerals provide valuable insights into geological processes on asteroid 4 Vesta, which is considered the source of most eucritic meteorites. Vesta is the second-largest object in the main asteroid belt and has been struck by numerous large impacts throughout its history, ejecting surface material into space. These events created craters on Vesta that are visible today thanks to space probes.
Composition and significance of eucrites
Eucrites are particularly interesting because they are considered volcanic rocks similar to those found on Earth. They are primarily composed of basalt or gabbro, both igneous rocks, and contain minerals like plagioclase and pyroxene. Together with diogenites and howardites, they form a group of meteorites known as HED meteorites, named after their main types (Howardite–Eucrite–Diogenite).