Why this rock is probably not a meteorite:
We're looking at the sawn face of a pretty rock, but it's not a meteorite.
The matrix is red, indication the presence of highly oxidized iron
(ferric iron, Fe3+). Most meteorites are pieces of
asteroids, and highly oxidizing conditions don't occur on asteroids
(no oxygen atmosphere). That's why many meteorites contain iron
metal (Fe0) and are, consequently, magnetic. Up close,
one can see shiny things in this rock that look metallic, but they're
not metal. They're grains of sulfide minerals. |
What is it?
This is a terrestrial sedimentary rock. Sulfide minerals are
common in sedimentary rocks. If it weren't so red, it would
resemble some lunar meteorites in that the clast size is highly variable
and most clasts are rather angular. In detail, the clasts consist
of potassium feldspar (pink) and quartz (whitish), which are rare
to absent on the Moon and asteroids. It is conceivable that a rock
that looks like this occurs on Mars, but none have been discovered
among meteorites. |
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