[meteorite-list] New Martian - NWA 5789 - The One That Got Away!

From: Greg Hupe <gmhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 19:20:07 -0400
Message-ID: <00D94CB4FF42457BB2857E23012ADB05_at_Gregor>

Dear List Members,



I would like to announce a new Martian meteorite, NWA 5789 (Provisional),
the one that got away... mostly!



NWA 5789 is currently under study and so far has been described as an
Anomalous Shergottite Martian meteorite. This new meteorite has a very low
Total Known Weight (TKW) of just 49 grams in three main fragments. I sent a
small type sample to the University of Washington who confirmed (NWA 5789)
to be a new Martian meteorite with a 99% certainty. Wanting 100% certainty,
I sent an additional sample for oxygen isotope analysis, which proved it to
be authentic. While waiting for this final analysis, I was negotiating with
the Moroccan owner and we were almost at an agreement (or at least I
thought). To my dismay, after informing the Moroccan that the material was
indeed Martian, he never intended to sell me the material and was shopping
it around, leaving me acquiring just 1.8 grams. He only wanted to use me for
our quick scientific connections to get material confirmed and/or
classified. This is one of the problems when working with Moroccans, you
occasionally get the short end of the stick!



Not knowing if the additional 47.2 grams would surface or ever be available
to collectors, I asked that an NWA number be requested for the 1.8 grams and
the next day, "NWA 5789" was assigned to this small amount. Approximately
three weeks after this date, it was discovered that the extra 47.2 grams was
purchased by a European group (Martin/Stefan). Upon learning of this news,
it was agreed by all parties to include the extra 47.2 grams under the
designation, "NWA 5789", for a TKW of 49 grams. To say that I was
disappointed with the Moroccan for his greedy and underhanded actions would
be an understatement, but at least the additional material has been
accounted for! NWA 5789 resembles Yamato 980459, as commented on by a
well-known planetary collector.




Image of 30.5-gram NWA 5789 fragment:

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa5789/nwa5789-30_5g.jpg



Image of broken face of 1.328-gram fragment:

http://www.lunarrock.com/nwa5789/nwa5789interior.jpg



The lead scientist wrote after examining the first sample of (NWA 5789):

"GH-367 (NWA 5789) appears to be a very mafic (or even ultramafic)
shergottite consisting of small olivine phenocrysts and small orthopyroxene
phenocrysts in a finer grained groundmass composed mainly of prismatic
pigeonite grains, chromite, pyrrhotite, and mesostasis regions composed of
laminar intergrowths (some sheaf-like) of pigeonite, intermediate
plagioclase (possibly NOT maskelynite), silica, ilmenite and merrillite."
"This specimen is unlike any other, in that it has very little plagioclase,
yet it is texturally different from "lherzolitic" shergottites. I believe
that it may be a new type of Martian igneous rock."

NOTE: You will notice a slight change in the weights in this email compared
to the ones I quoted in my eight eBay auctions of NWA 5789, currently
running. I just confirmed the total known weight with the classifying
scientist.

Best regards,
Greg

Click here for my current eBay auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZnaturesvault

====================
Greg Hupe
The Hupe Collection
NaturesVault (eBay)
gmhupe at htn.net
www.LunarRock.com
IMCA 3163
====================
Click here for my current eBay auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZnaturesvault
Received on Tue 02 Jun 2009 07:20:07 PM PDT