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Introducing NWA 6026, a new carbonaceous chondrite CK5 meteorite from the Saharan Desert.

NWA 6026 is a carbonaceous chondrite of the Karoonda type (CK5).  This is a very rare class of meteorite.  

Refer to the photo.  Your specimen will consist of one large or several small fragments selected from the larger lot shown in the photo.  The black centimeter cube is shown for scale and is not included.  Your purchase will include labelled gemjar for safe storage and a specimen card.

NWA 6026 was purchased in Morocco in 2009.  It was submitted for classification (Humboldt University, Berlin) and received the provisional NWA number 6026 in January 2010.  The specimen consisted of a single mass weighing 244 grams with fresh glossy black fusion crust.  It has a weathering grade of W1/W2 and a shock grade of S2.  The interior is quite fresh with CAI's and small shock veins set in a characteristic blue-grey background matrix of magnetite-rich material.  Other classification data : Fa mol% 0.7-31.7, Fs mol% 1.9-5.6.

CK type specimens vary from other carbonaceous chondrites because they have experienced violent conditions during their history.  Like other carbonaceous chondrites, they represent a primitive material from the earliest days of the primordial solar nebula, but most carbonaceous chondrites are relatively unaltered and pristine.  CK types have experienced non-aqueous oxidizing conditions as a result of heat and shock that was caused by violent collisions in the early chaos of the solar system.  Because of this, they have a characteristic greyish blue matrix that owes it's color to the presence of magnetite inside the iron-rich olivine-bearing material.  CK meteorites also contain large CAI inclusions (Calcium Aluminum Inclusions), which are known to be the oldest matter in the solar system, having condensed from the solar nebula millions of years before the formation of chondrules.  Also, because of the CK's violent history, most of these meteorite exhibit some degree of shock and shock veins.  At first, scientists thought that CK meteorites were part of the Vigarano (CV) family, and they were labelled as CV4 or CV5 meteorites.  But now it is known that CK meteorites are a distinctly different class of meteorite that originates from an unknown parent body that is different from other carbonaceous chondrites.  CK meteorites are subdivided into petrologic grades 3-6, with 6 being the most metamorphosed and CK4 being the most common.

To put this scarcity of this meteorite into perspective, consider the following :

1) There have been approx. 30,000 meteorites to be officially classified, and this includes all meteorites that originated from Antarctica and the deserts of North West Africa.  Out of many thousands of meteorites to be found, only 80 have been classified as CK5.

2) Of the 80 known CK5 meteorites, 67 of them were found in Antarctica by official government expeditions and are only available for scientific study - they are forever locked away from the collector's market.   

3) The majority of the Antarctic CK5 meteorites are tiny stones weighing 10 or less grams from paired finds.  Only 4 of the Antarctic finds weigh more than 100 grams, and only one weighs more than 1000 grams.  In other words - these 67 Antarctic meteorites don't add up to much total weight and may only represent a small number of paired falls.

4) Of the 13 CK5 meteorites available to collectors, 4 of them are very small stones weighing under 100 grams, so this material is rarely seen on the market.  

5) The combined TKW (total known weight) of all CK5 meteorites is only 11.7kg, and the non-Antarctics weigh only 7.9kg.

6) By comparison there are over 60 known lunar meteorites (not counting pairings) and just one of them weighs more than all of known CK5 meteorites in existence.  This means that carbonaceous CK5 meteorites are many times more rare than lunars (moon rocks) by weight.