NWA753
NWA 753 Rumuruti R3.9
The Rumuruti meteorites are among the rarest of the chondrites, only a handful of them have ever been found. Before this one (which weighed 10 times more than all of the others combined) was found, the R chondrites could not be purchased for less than $1000.00 per gram! Because many kilos of this one was put on the collector market, the price was brought down very low. It has since been rising again due to lack of remaining material.
12 kg of this meteorite in many pieces was purchased in Rissani in 2001 January. It was probably found in the Kem Kem region. Classification and mineralogy (A. Sokol and A. Bischoff, Mün): the sample appears to be unbrecciated in thin section; olivine, Fa38.6±3.2 (range Fa20–41, n = 36); Ca-poor pyroxene, Fs20.3±4.0 (range Fs8–30, n = 24); Ca-pyroxene, Fs9.1±0.5Wo47.6±1.8; plagioclase, An11.4±1.7; shock stage, S2; weathering grade, W2, making it one of the freshest R chondrites besides Rumuruti; sulfides are well preserved. See also Bischoff et al. (2001).
Country: Northwest Africa
Co-ordinates: -
Total known weight: 12 kg
Date of find: 2000
Type: Stone. Chondrite. Rumuruti (R3.9)