Complete Slice of NWA 1950

A PIECE OF MARS CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF OLIVINE

This complete slice of a Martian meteorite had been part of a rock on Mars that was launched off the Martian surface by a massive asteroid impact and then passed into an Earth-crossing orbit. Martian meteorites are among the rarest substances on Earth, with only approximately 374 kg (825 pounds) of Martian meteorites known to exist. In addition to their highly specific chemical markers, most Martian meteorites — including this example — exhibit an unusually young crystalline age, indicating they do not originate from asteroids.

As a peridotitic rock, NWA 1950 consists mainly of olivine, which shows up as the beguiling yellow and green color in this slice. The specimen has a dark fusion crust, the result of melting and then solidifying as it flew through the Earth's atmosphere.

Scientists long speculated that Mars was the most likely place of origin for an unusual group of meteorites that shared similar characteristics, a belief that was vindicated in 1995. The smoking gun turned out to be minute amounts of gas found in tiny bubbles of impact melt in two suspected Martian meteorites, specimens quite similar to the one currently offered. When the gas was analyzed, it matched the signature of the Martian atmosphere as reported by NASA's Viking space probes.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for NWA 1950