E3
(possibly EL3)
purchased December 2000
no coordinates recorded
A 210 g weathered meteorite was purchased by a Canadian meteorite dealer in Erfoud, Morocco. Upon cutting, it was considered that it was a particularly nice LL3 and was used to make thin sections. Thereafter, a 34.7 g sample and a thin section were sent to the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow for classification. The preliminary analysis determined that this was an E3 chondrite (Fs1.11, An10.8), with a shock stage of S2 and a weathering grade of W3.
From the preliminary data provided by the Russian Academy of Sciences, including the large diameter of its chondrules, it was presumed that NWA 305 belonged to the EL chondrite group. Since only a few EL3 chondrites have been recovered from the Antarctic, such as ALH 85199, MAC 88180, and PCA 91020, along with an EL3 xenolith identified in the carbonaceous chondrite Kaidun (named Kaidun IV), plus the recently classified NWA 3132, NWA 305 may prove to be an important addition to the this highly unequilibrated enstatite meteorite suite. Further information on the classification determinants and the petrogenesis of the E chondrites can be found on the Saint-Sauveur page. The specimen of NWA 305 shown above is a 5.17 g partial end section. The photos below show the main mass and several magnified views of the unequilibrated chondrules.
