DISCOVERED IN NORTHWEST AFRICA IN 2012

The formal name for this meteorite is NWA 7502, a beautiful member of the CR carbonaceous chondrite group; it was found in Northwest Africa in 2012. The group is characterized by large chondrules and abundant metallic iron-nickel; the metal occurs within chondrule rims, as large nodules in chondrule interiors, and as discrete clasts in the meteorite matrix. Also present in the meteorite are small calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) – the oldest solid materials in the Solar System. Recent research has suggested that CR chondrites formed in particularly dusty regions of the early Solar System and that their chondrules grew to large size through a series of events involving melting and acquisition of additional dust. Through exposure to water at the Earth’s surface, the fine-grained matrix of NWA 7502 developed a deep reddish-brown patina.

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