NWA 11342 Digoenite Meteorite

Find / Fall: Found 2017
Location: Morocco
Classification: Achondrite, Diogenite
Total Known Weight: 712 grams

Northwest Africa 11342, or NWA 11342, is a stone meteorite that was found in the Sahara Desert and officially classified in 2017. It belongs to a group of meteorites called diogenites. These are special rocks that scientists believe formed deep inside the crust of a large asteroid. While most researchers link these meteorites to the asteroid 4 Vesta, newer studies suggest they could also come from other “Vesta-like” asteroids that were broken apart during massive impacts in the early solar system.

This meteorite was discovered as a single stone with a weathered and sandblasted exterior from its time in the desert. As an achondrite, NWA 11342 does not contain the tiny mineral beads called chondrules that are found in most other space rocks. When sliced, it reveals a beautiful yellow-orange interior made of large, interlocking crystals. This crystalline look shows that the rock cooled very slowly deep underground, essentially acting as a piece of volcanic magma from another world.

NWA 11342 Meteorite Information