[meteorite-list] Unclassified NWAs: What's the attraction?

[bernd.pauli at paulinet.de]

Tom wrote:

WOW! I can't remain silent.  MOST of us are interested in the  rocks, you 
know the material that came from out of this world. I've heard  it said "
There is no such thing as an ordinary chondrite" and that applies to all
rocks from space.


NORTON O.R. (2001) Ugly Ducklings of the desert
(Meteorite Mag., August 2001, Vol. 7-3, pp. 22-23):

None of the meteorites had fusion crusts. Most were severely fractured, some broken
in pieces along fracture lines allowing for the entrance of terrestrial contaminants. The
interiors were stained brown from iron oxide. But I kept telling myself that it didn't
matter their condition. These "ugly ducklings" are, after all, real meteorites...Off they
went to the thin section maker. When they returned and I had my first look at their
interiors my "Ho hum, just another Sahara OC" attitude changed.  Like the story of the
ugly duckling, within the few months of grinding and polishing, a transfiguration had
taken place. These "ordinary" chondrites were every bit as beautiful and exciting as
any chondrites I have examined through the years. I was moved by the fact that I was
the first to peer into the interiors of these asteroid chps. Wonderful discoveries abound
in these sections. The textural variations are so great that the explorer is guaranteed
to see structures never before seen by anyone. Herein lies the beauty of these "ugly
ducklings".