20457 – Taza (NWA 859) Iron Ungrouped Plessitic Octahedrite Meteorite 5.0g ORIENTED

Name: Northwest Africa 859
This is an OFFICIAL meteorite name.
Abbreviation: NWA 859 
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2001
Country: (Northwest Africa) 
Mass:help 75.3 kg

Classification
Recommended: Iron, ungrouped

This is 1 of 124 approved meteorites (plus 1 unapproved name) classified as Iron, ungrouped.
Origin or pseudonym: Taza, Morocco
Date: 2001
Mass (g): 75.3 kg
Pieces: several
Class: Iron ung.
Classifier: J. Wasson (UCLA)

Comments: Plessitic octahedrite, Co = 13.1 mg/g, Ni = 159.3 mg/g, Cu = 296 ug/g, Ga = 87.0 ug/g, Ge = 2200 ug/g, As = 54 pg/g, W = 6.8 ug/g, Ir = 2.45 pg/g, Pt = 37.7 ug/g, Au = 6.52 ug/g.

Institutions and collections UCLA:

Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States (institutional address; updated 17 Oct 2011)

There are different views of the meteorite: Trailing Side (Rear) , the Leading Side (Front)  and a side view.

As a meteor travels through the Earth’s atmosphere, the heat generated ablates material away. If the meteor is able to achieve stable flight rather than tumbling sporadically, then the material will ablate in an even manner creating what is known as a shield or nose-cone shape. In fact, ideas for space re-entry vehicles were designed from this natural shape which tends to dissipate the high amounts of energy better. The leading side (front) and sides often have flow-lines in the surface which indicates the direction the material was being ablated. The rear edges of the trailing side can create a ‘roll-over’ rim or ‘lip’ where the ablating/melting material has started to roll-over onto the back side. Sometimes specimens will also have ‘frothing’ on the trailing side where the crust has literally bubbled. Oriented meteorites are quite rare and can differ widely in shape and size.