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66.8 gram full slice. 100 x 90 x 2.5 mm. Achondrite-ung TKW 50 kg. Fall not observed. Found 2023 in Tunisia. Scott writes:Ksar Ghilane 022 has been recently classified and is similar to the very unusual NWA 15915 (see MPODs on 9/15/2023, 5/4/2024, and 5/8/2024). The two possibly have the same parent body but aren’t terrestrially paired due to differences in mineralogy, location and weathering. Both exhibit unusual sulfide inclusions that show up as tiny spheroids, although those in KG 022 are harder to see due to lower translucency. Like NWA 15915, Ksar Ghilane 022 is a clinopyroxenite with some affinities to aubrites but differs in being composed predominantly of almost Fe-free augite rather than enstatite. Pics 1 and 2 show the polished and unpolished sides of the slice, showing the lighter and darker lithologies. Pics 3 and 4 are 30X close-ups showing some of the inclusions. There is a lot of speculation and research on KG 022 and its NWA cousin as to their parent body. Some have suggested Mercury or Venus, and additional potential sources are also being explored. This rock seems a bit like expensive granite on casual observation, so hoping one or more of these studies turns up something verifiable and interesting — a celestial lottery ticket! Pics are copyright Scott McGregor and may be freely used with attribution.
Ksar Ghilane 022 has been recently classified and is similar to the very unusual NWA 15915 (see MPODs on 9/15/2023, 5/4/2024, and 5/8/2024). The two possibly have the same parent body but aren’t terrestrially paired due to differences in mineralogy, location and weathering. Both exhibit unusual sulfide inclusions that show up as tiny spheroids, although those in KG 022 are harder to see due to lower translucency. Like NWA 15915, Ksar Ghilane 022 is a clinopyroxenite with some affinities to aubrites but differs in being composed predominantly of almost Fe-free augite rather than enstatite. Pics 1 and 2 show the polished and unpolished sides of the slice, showing the lighter and darker lithologies. Pics 3 and 4 are 30X close-ups showing some of the inclusions. There is a lot of speculation and research on KG 022 and its NWA cousin as to their parent body. Some have suggested Mercury or Venus, and additional potential sources are also being explored. This rock seems a bit like expensive granite on casual observation, so hoping one or more of these studies turns up something verifiable and interesting — a celestial lottery ticket! Pics are copyright Scott McGregor and may be freely used with attribution.