NW Africa 869 Meteorite Fragment, Algeria

These fragments are from Northwest Africa (NWA) 869 meteorite, which was discovered in 2000. One of the largest strewn fields in Africa, it straddles the Morocco-Algeria border near Tindouf, Algeria. 

NWA 869 comes with an extraordinarily unusual classification, L 3-6, meaning it exhibits characteristics of different types of meteorites within a single mass.

It is known as a "regolith breccia"--a loose deposit that lies on solid rock. Because there is no wind or rain to build up a deposit on an extraterrestrial body in outer space, it is surmised NWA 869 is a result of repeated impacts of meteorites on its surface or perhaps a collision of asteroids. 

The original body of NWA 869 was repeatedly covered by meteorites landing on its surface, creating a new mixture of materials. 

Average size of pieces: .25 to .5 inches