The largest central slice of a rare and unique Angrite (allotriomorphic-granular). Only 7% of stony meteorites are achondrites, and angrites are the most rare achondrites (just 0.9% of them, 6x more rare than meteorites from Mars). This particular slice weighs 662 grams and has a unique brown fusion crust. Fezzou 002 was found in Morocco in 2023.
Angrites are olivine-bearing, basaltic meteorites that originate from a volatile-depleted planetesimal. Previous work on angrites suggests that their parent body accreted within the first 0.5 to 1 Myr of solar system evolution and differentiated via extensive melting and crystallization of igneous rocks within ~2 Myr after the first solids formed (~4.57 billion years ago). Petrologic studies indicate that angrites experienced little physical or chemical alteration after crystallizing. Consequently, angrites are among the oldest known igneous rocks, preserving records of early solar system chronology and planetary formation, melting, and differentiation. Previous studies have suggested that the parent body of the angrites could have delivered important materials like water to the early Earth.
From the Met Bull classification: The specimen is an aggregate (mean grainsize ~350 µm) of interlocking anhedral grains exhibiting an allotriomorphic-granular texture. Composed predominantly of Al-Ti-augite (pink in thin section), Ca-bearing olivine, kirschsteinite and almost pure anorthite together with accessory hercynitic spinel (pleonaste), troilite and rare Fe metal. Blades or lamellae of kirschsteinite are present within some olivine grains. Some polycrystalline pyroxene-rich clusters and clusters of kirschsteinite+olivine up to ~3 mm in size are present. Vesicles are absent.
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