NWA 12269 Meteorite - Slice
Martian Shergottite
Chondrite
Northwest Africa
NWA 12269 is an officially recognized meteorite which was classified in 2018 after a 1679-gram mass was acquired by a collector in Morocco. Martian meteorites are pieces of the Martian crust that were blasted from the surface by an asteroid impact and made their way to Earth as a meteorite. Their Martian origin is identified by unique isotopic composition and trapped gases which match the atmosphere sampled by NASA landers. The present specimen exhibits the attractive grayish color with dark crystal inclusions characteristic of this meteorite. The slice exhibits a low polish on both sides. Weighing approximately 1.59 grams and measuring 20 x 19 x 1.7mm