C3-ungrouped
(possible CK3)
Found 1998
27° 16.76' N., 16° 24.70' W.
A stone weighing 572 g was found in three separate pieces in the Libyan Sahara. It has a low shock stage of S1 and weathering grade of W1. It has been proposed that DaG 430 may be paired with DaG 429 (253 g), DaG 055, and DaG 056. The possibility of pairing with DaG 055, which is considered to be a CK3 (Clayton and Mayeda, 1999), opens up the possibility of a similar classification for DaG 430. Consistent with this, DaG 430 shows similarities to the CK3 Camel Donga 003, but it does have lower 129Xe/132Xe ratios than is normal for the CK group. In contrast with typical CK chondrites, which are strongly oxidized and essentially free of metallic FeNi, tiny metal flakes are present in DaG 430.
Details of a recent study by Greenwood et al. (2004, 2009) concerning their proposed unification of the CK and the oxidized CV groups as a single group from a common parent body can be found on the Dhofar 015 page. The specimen of DaG 430 shown above is a 0.45 g partial slice. A close-up of a large slice of DaG 430 exhibiting metal within chondrules imbedded in a light gray groundmass can be seen in the top photo below, while the bottom photo reveals an interesting dark inclusion within this meteorite.
