HED Eucrite melt breccia
186 mm x 134 mm x 3 mm
133 grams
Found in the Sahara desert in 2015, NWA 12265 is a vesicular eucrite shock-melt breccia from Vesta, the second largest asteroid in the asteroid belt—this slice of the meteorite is a core sample from the depths of outer space. An ancient time capsule older than Earth itself, documenting the history of incredible space-borne violence to Vesta and its ejected material. As is the case with the Martian and lunar offerings, this arrived on Earth as a result of another asteroid having slammed into Vesta, ejecting debris into space, some of which serendipitously entered an Earth-crossing orbit.
During the impact of a meteorite, old rocks are broken up and new rocks are formed. Breccias are rocks composed of fragments of others that have been relithified, or glued back together, by these violent impacts—resulting in a rock consisting of clasts (rock fragments) of various sizes, embedded in a matrix of smaller clasts, crystallized impact melt, or glass. This meteorite shows off the rounded clasts and veins of impact melt, with one polished face and one matte face; a weight label and a few small pieces of tape are applied to the dull backside. Accompanied by a metal display label.
