Collection
Classification: Eucrite-melt breccia
Observed fall: No
Year found: 2022
City, Country: Ajdabiya, Libya
Mass: 2500 kg
In collection
Weight #1 : 5,85 g
Certificate of authenticity: Yes (1)
Jikharra 001 is classified as a Eucrite melt breccia (EUC), an achondritic meteorite type originating from the basaltic crust of 4 Vesta. In this melt breccia form, fragments of pre-existing eucritic materials—dominated by plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene—have been partially melted and re-cemented during high-energy impact events on Vesta’s surface. The rock’s brecciated texture, with angular clasts embedded in a finely crystallized or glassy matrix, reflects intense collisional processes and rapid quenching of localized melts. By studying Jikharra 001, researchers gain insights into the combined effects of magmatism and impact brecciation on one of the earliest-formed differentiated bodies in the asteroid belt.
When examining a thin section of Jikharra 001 – a Eucrite melt breccia under a light microscope, you observe angular clasts of plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene embedded within a partially melted, fine-grained or glassy matrix. The eucritic fragments typically show igneous textures, with feldspar displaying polysynthetic twinning and clinopyroxene exhibiting characteristic interference colors under polarized light. In the melt-rich areas, crystallites or small spherulitic structures may be visible, suggesting rapid quenching during impact events. Occasional fractures, shock deformation features, and opaque mineral inclusions attest to the high-energy collisions that formed this breccia on 4 Vesta, offering a snapshot of both volcanic and impact-driven processes within the asteroid’s crust.
