[meteorite-list] NWA 5789 and NWA 5790

[Martin Altmann]

Exactely!

Nakhlites are a well established type of Mars rock,
consisting of the 3 clasics: Nakhla, Lafayette and Governador Valadares,
2 Antarctic finds and 2 hot desert finds NWA 817 and NWA 998
- altogether around 27kgs.
How rare they are you already can see on the numbers, as almost 5000 numbers
lie in between the last find and that one,
Therefore the recovery of NWA 5790 is a true sensation. 

The NWA 5789 is no nakhlite, nor will it be that easy to group it among the
established classes, as it seems to be a kind of Mars rock, not yet known
among the other Martian meteorites. 
Unfortunately it was not more than 49grams.
It's new and unique and will stay subject of research for a longer while.
Therefore the recovery of NWA 5789 is a true sensation.


Under what for a denomination NWA 5789 will end in the Bulletin, nobody
knows yet. The NomCom of MetSoc is with Martians still somewhat conservative
and seems to want to subdue all under the old three main classes S,N or C.
While the Mars-experts have a more differentiated system, e.g. they divide
the shergottites in at least 5 subtypes.
You see it for instance with the new peridotite NWA 4797, also a new type of
Mars rock, which is listed now in the Bulletin database as "shergottite" and
which the specialists wouldn't necessarily have called so.
So maybe NWA 5789 will end up as a "shergottite" there too,
but that doesn't change the new aspects, the material offers, in no way.
But I guess that will change - it's a little bit like with the lunars, where
they had in former times only two types - LUN-A for the anorthositic
breccias and LUN-B for the basalts - and look, what for a variety of types
we have now. The classification & meteorite science evolves with time and
with new finds.

Here some basics:

As always first David Weir's famous Meteorite Studies:

http://www.meteoritestudies.com/


Norbert Classen's  Mars & Moon pages,
With a complete list of all Martians, including sample pictures of all
available Martians as well it is the best collection of main mass pictures:

http://www.meteoris.de/


And brandnew, developing to a Martian pendant to Randy Korotev's fantastic
lunar pages - Anthony Irvings Martian site:
http://www.imca.cc/mars/martian-meteorites.htm


Perhaps a remark.
Although we're still waiting a little bit, that science can take its share
and although we currently can't promise, that something will be left then
from NWA 5789, you can apply for a specimen by private mail, to be set on
the waiting list.
No worries, we aren't cruel, the price of that unique material will be lower
than the price of the nakhlites, although it's endlessly rarer.
(Uh partially remarkably lower, if I google around....).

All the Best!
Martin & Stefan

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von
bernd.pauli at paulinet.de
Gesendet: Dienstag, 9. Juni 2009 11:42
An: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] NWA 5789 and NWA 5790

Hi Pete and List,

"they are different Martian meteorites... "
"I can't tell from the description, if they are related or not."

If I got that right, they are two different Martians!

According to Mr. Habibi's own comments, NWA 5790 is a *nakhlite*
whereas Greg's, Stefan's and Martin's NWA 5789 is an anomalous
*shergottite* or even a *new* type of Martian rock!

Best from Germany,

Bernd

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