Nakhla meteorite

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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The Nakhla meteorite is a type of achondrite, which are meteorites that have not undergone melting. Achondrites are a diverse group of meteorites that exhibit features suggesting their parent bodies experienced widespread melting. Most achondrites found on Earth originate from asteroids, but some are believed to have come from Mars and the Moon.1

The Nakhla meteorite is classified as a nakhlite, one of three groups of meteorites thought to originate from Mars. These Martian meteorites are volcanic rocks and provide scientists with a unique window into the evolution of Mars.1

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olivine
Meteorites and the Earth’s mantle
In the Nakhla (Egypt) meteorite (an achondrite meteorite), the olivine is more ferrous, however, containing as much as Fa₆₅. In the chondrites (stony meteorites), the olivine is commonly incorporated in the distinctive spheroidal bodies referred to as chondrules, which range up to one millimetre in diameter.
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In the Nakhla (Egypt) meteorite (an achondrite meteorite), the olivine is more ferrous, however, containing as much as Fa₆₅. In the chondrites (stony meteorites), the olivine is commonly incorporated in the distinctive spheroidal bodies referred to as chondrules, which range up to one millimetre in diameter.
Read More