This is a piece of a large meteorite recently discovered in the Sahara- formed from the formation of the solar system!
Its official name is Northwest Africa 14460 and its total mass after impact was 9.8 kg (21.6 lbs). Meteorites are often discovered in Northwest Africa because the dry climate is kind to rocks and the general sparsity of the region allows them to go undisturbed for long periods of time.
Based on the composition of NWA 14460, we can determine its parent body was a type of stony asteroid called a chondrite—meaning it formed from the accretion of dust during the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Many asteroids orbit the sun in the asteroid belt, but many more also populate areas of gravitational resonance called Lagrange points.
Displayed in an acrylic case, each meteorite comes with our seal of authenticity.
