Collection
Classification: Mesosiderite
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2021
City, Country: Gao, Mali
Mass: 1200 g
In collection
Weight #1 : 21 g
Certificate of authenticity: Yes (1)
ET Tama 001 is classified as a Mesosiderite, a rare type of stony-iron meteorite characterized by an intimate mixture of metallic iron-nickel and silicate minerals. These meteorites are believed to form through high-energy collisions between differentiated asteroids—events that mix core-derived metal with mantle-derived or crustal silicates. In ET Tama 001, the metal and silicate phases are intermixed in a brecciated or heterogeneous texture, reflecting the complex collisional and thermal history of its parent body. By studying this mesosiderite, scientists gain insights into both the metallic and silicate components of early solar system bodies, as well as the collisional processes that shaped them.
When examining a thin section of ET Tama 001 – a Mesosiderite under a light microscope, you see a distinctive stony-iron assemblage in which metallic iron-nickel grains and silicate minerals (such as pyroxene and plagioclase) are intermixed. In transmitted light, the silicates appear translucent and exhibit characteristic interference colors, while the metal phases remain opaque. Under reflected light, the iron-nickel shines brightly, contrasting with the more subdued silicate fragments. The silicate portion can appear brecciated or partially melted in places, hinting at high-energy collisions that intermixed core-derived metal with crustal or mantle-derived silicates. Fractures and deformation features may also be observed, indicating a complex collisional and thermal history.
