1.65" Polished Mesosiderite Meteorite Slice (28.4 g) - NWA 4576

NWA 4576 is a mesosiderite meteorite that was discovered in January of 2005 in Northwest Africa. The total mass of this meteor was greater than 30 kgs.

Mesosiderites are a rare kind of stony-iron meteorite: only 208 are known, and over a quarter of them have been found in Antarctica. Only 7 mesosidertite falls have ever been witnessed, and what meteorites are found tend to be large masses.

They are characterized by an almost even proportion of metallic nickel-iron and silicates, and often have irregular, brecciated textures. They contain many compositional similarities to diogenites and eucrites from 4 Vesta. Some scientists believe they are sourced from the smaller asteroid 16 Psyche.

Perhaps the most well-known mesosiderite is the Vaca Muerta fall in Chile, which has produced well over 3 metric tons of material since its recognition as a meteorite in the 19th century. Other well-known mesosiderites include the Estherville meteorite, which fell in Iowa in 1879; the Lowicz fall in Poland in 1935; and the famous Chinguetti meteorite out of Mauritania.