Oued Namous 001 – Angrite (97.80 g)
A rare angrite individual preserving about 95% of its natural fusion crust, beneath which vivid green olivine crystals subtly emerge at the surface. Small vesicles testify to its volcanic formation on a differentiated planetary body. This specimen represents a remarkable example of the angrite group, among the oldest known igneous meteorites in the Solar System.
Oued Namous 001 – Angrite (97.08 g)
This 97.08 g individual of the angrite Oued Namous 001 represents an exceptional example of one of the Solar System’s earliest basaltic lithologies. Angrites crystallized during the very first stages of planetary differentiation, recording primordial magmatic activity on a small, early-formed parent body.
The specimen displays a compact volcanic fabric with a fine-grained dark matrix and numerous vesicles formed by trapped magmatic gases. Some of these vesicular structures extend toward the exterior and can be observed in association with the preserved fusion crust. Emerging through the surface in several areas are translucent green olivine phenocrysts — a characteristic mineralogical component of this meteorite — whose gem-like appearance contrasts markedly with the surrounding matrix.
The preservation of natural external surfaces combined with visible mineralogical features makes this piece equally compelling from a scientific and aesthetic perspective. Oued Namous 001 is particularly valued among angrites for its rarity and for the insights it provides into early igneous processes in the young Solar System.
Scientific reference:
Meteoritical Bulletin – Oued Namous 001 (78132)
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/metbull.php?code=78132
