Tarkint 001 Mars Shergottite #27 – 2,3 g
276,00€Tarkint 001 est une rare météorite provenant de Mars, classifiée Shergottite (olivine-phyric).
Elle a été découverte à Gao au Mali en 2025.
Sa surface révèle de nombreux phénocristaux d’olivine brun-vert de quelques millimètres, enchâssés dans une matrice à grains fins de couleur beige clair.
La particularité de cette météorite c’est qu’elle ne ressemble à aucune autre météorite martienne.
Le total connu de cette météorite est de seulement 2 kg, il n’y en aura pas pour tout le monde !
Tarkint 001 17.4959263, 0.6428554
Gao, Mali
Find: 2025
Classification: Martian meteorite (Shergottite)
History: In 2025, fragments of a meteorite were discovered in a desert area 60 km east of the village of Tarkint and approximately 150 km northeast of the city of Gao, Mali. The discovery occurred by chance during a local field survey, where the distinctive surface features of the stones drew the attention of the field researchers. Purchased by Ali Muftah in 2025.
Physical characteristics: The total collected mass was approximately 2 kg. The deposit samples display an exterior partially covered with dark, slightly abraded fusion crust. Sawcut surface reveals many distinctive mm-sized brown-green olivine phenocrysts set in light tan-colored, fine-grained groundmass.
Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Electron microprobe analysis of a polished mount shows this meteorite to be an olivine-phyric shergottite. Olivine phenocrysts display core-rim igneous zoning. Plagioclase has been converted to maskelynite. Fine-grained pigeonite and maskelynite make up the groundmass. Minor amounts of chromite, Ti-magnetite, and troilite are ubiquitous.
Geochemistry: (T. Shisseh, UNM) Olivine Fa32.6±12.1, Fe/Mn=53±4, n=13; pigeonite Fs23.3±3.2Wo4.9±2.2, Fe/Mn=30±1, n=17; maskelynite An54.9±3.5Ab44.7±3.5, n=4.
Classification: Martian, olivine-phyric shergottite. Visually, the macroscopic texture of this meteorite is reminiscent of NWA 10416, however they are not paired. This meteorite lacks augite and altered olivine, it also has maskelynite-only, with no remnant plagioclase present. This meteorite has olivine that is significantly more forsteritic than NWA 10416.
Specimens: 48 g on deposit at UNM, Ali Muftah holds the main mass, Eric Twelker holds a 410.7 g piece.
