Re: [meteorite-list] NWA 869

[MARK BOSTICK]

Hello Greg and list,   Hope all is well there Greg.  I have enjoyed your Meteorite Magazine articles and hope to see more in the future. (Note to other list members:  Greg has written a few articles on carbonaceous meteorites).   NWA869 has recieved several classifications.  Lately it has been classified as an L3.8-L6 Breccia.  Alan Rubin is pretty steadfast that it is not a breccia and at first classified is an L4 and then came back with an L5 classfication.  As NWA787 it was classified as an L6.  I will conceed to Rubin as he knows a lot more then I do (and has an electron microscope).  I have two thin sections of the meteorite, the light part and the darker part and to me, they do appear to be different.  I do not see the L3.8 in the lighter thin section, while it does look somewhat like that in the hand specimens.  The chondrules just are not that defined (in my opinion).  I would probley agree with an L4-L6 breccia classification).  I havent seen any of the redish matrix in a thin seciton however and have wondered how it will look.   How many NWA869's have been recovered?  No one knows, thousands for sure.  I have seen boxes of it in Tucson and Denver for two years now.   Whats the total weight?  Unknown, probley 500 kilos (just a guess).  Perhaps Dean might know how much he has went through....he has sold more of this meteorite then anyone.    It is one of the nicest meteorites that has came out of Africa.  Have there only been 5-10kilos, I have no doults it would retail at $2.00-$4.00 a gram.   Mark Bostick www.MeteoriteArticles.com   ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 10:28 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [meteorite-list] NWA 869   Dear List Members: What is the current status (classification) of NWA 869?  I have a rather large slice with an L4 label.  Is it still an L4?  Found 2001.  What is the total know weight?  How many individuals?   Look forward to hearing from "ya all". Sincerely Greg Shanos Sarasota, FL