Class: L4-6
Found: Algeria in 2000
NWA 869 is a common meteorite because of the volume of the find in NorthWest Africa. About three metric tons have been collected, making this one of the largest finds ever recorded.
L chondrites contain low levels of iron (L), so this will not be strongly attracted to a magnet.
Two specimens are shown. The image at right clearly shows metal chondrules . The specimen at left is smaller and has different types of inclusions.
Class: L3
Found: Sahara in 2001
The petrologic class 3 indicates well-developed chondrules that have not been metamorphed.
Class: L4
Found: Arizona in 1995
The petrology class 4 indicates that the material has been heated enough to start breaking down the chondrules. This meteorite has a total mass of 61 kilograms - but it broke up into nearly 1500 pieces.
Note: All meteorite photographs include a 1 cm scaling cube for sizing reference. Click on the image to expand.
Class: L3.5
Found: Sahara in 2009
This is a beautiful chondrite with very well-defined chondrules in a black matrix. It was found in October of 2009, and total known weight is only about a pound!
Class: L5
Found: Oman in 1954
This is another low iron (L) meteorite, of the same class as NWA 869. It is composed of many chondrules contained in a matrix of black material. Ghubara is a xenolithic meteorite. "Xeno" means "alien", and what this means is that the chondrules are unrelated (alien) to the black matrix. They came from somewhere else and became embedded in it.
Class: L4
Found: Morocco in 2005
This is a nice example of an L4, with well-defined chondrules and very nice metal flecks embedded in the matrix.
Class: L4-5
Found: Morocco in 2006
This is a nice example of an L4, with well-defined chondrules and very nice metal flecks embedded in the matrix.
In order to make apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
- Carl Sagan
