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NWA 869 Meteorite
This newly discovered meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that has survived impact with the Earth's surface.
Unknown until 2001, science is still investigating the story behind this unusual celestial object.
Discovered - 2001, Morocco, Africa
Type / Class: Ordinary Chondrite, L4 L6
Geochemistry: A regolith breccia containing a solar noble gasses and preirradiated lithologies.
* What is a Meteorite? *
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical interactions with the atmospheric gases cause it to heat up and radiate energy. It then becomes a meteor and forms a fireball, also known as a shooting star or falling star; astronomers call the brightest examples "bolides". Once it settles on the larger body's surface, the meteor becomes a meteorite. Meteorites vary greatly in size. For geologists, a bolide is a meteorite large enough to create an impact crater.
