Registry:	MB004
Mineral Name:	Moss
Source:	Norway
Mineral Size:	14.56g
Sale Price:	$2,550.00
Description:

As reported by the Meteoritical Bulletin #91:

Moss                            ~59º26' N, ~10º42' E

Østfold, Norway

Fell July 14, 2006, ~10:20 hrs local daylight time (UT+2)

Carbonaceous chondrite (CO3.6)

 

History and physical characteristics: (G. Raade and K. Ødegaard, UOslo; M. Bilet, NorAS) At about 10:20 am on July 14, 2006, a bright fireball traveling SSE-NNW was witnessed by many people and a loud explosion and a rumbling sound was heard in the air above Moss and Rygge in south Norway, on the east side of the Oslofjord. Shortly after, a small meteorite was heard to land on an aluminum sheet and was recovered. Extensive searches in the area have resulted in the recovery of a total of 5 stones (Table 6).  Note that light rainfall occurred in the area on July 29, 30, and 31.

 

Table 6: Stones recovered from the Moss fall.
No.	Date (2006)	Latitude (N)	Longitude (E)	Mass (g)	Owner	Comments
1	14 July	59º24.463'	10º45.548'	36.7	K. J Røed Ødegaard	Complete stone + some fragments.
2	17 July	59º25.908'	10º41.778'	752	UOslo	Complete; hit tree, landed in grass; angular shape.
3	23 July	~59º26'	~10º42'	~1500	M-S-T	Half stone + fragments; hit fence and shattered.
4	30 July	59º27.005'	10º41.482'	~800	Farmer, M. Bilet	Many pieces; hit concrete in industrial area.
5	3 Aug	59º26.394'	10º42.032'	676	UOslo	Complete stone; penetrated roof of building; angular shape.

M-S-T: Mass divided between Michael Mazur, Bjørn Sørheim, and Eric Twelker.

 

Petrography: (J. Grossman, USGS; G. MacPherson, SI; L. Chizmadia, UHaw; A. Rubin, UCLA): Contains abundant small chondrules (most < 200 µm), small (<1 mm) amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) and refractory inclusions, and isolated grains of olivine, troilite, and kamacite set in a gray matrix.  Chondrule types are dominated by type-I PO, with other varieties of type I and II chondrules plus RP, C, and BO all present.   All type I chondrules show diffusional entry of FeO around edges and along cracks of forsterite grains. Olivine histogram is flat, resembling that of Ornans (range Fa_0.3–42, average Fa_19.9, s=65%, n=60); Cr₂O₃ content of fayalitic olivine is low (0.09±0.09 wt%).  Image analysis gives 2.2 vol% metal and 2.4 vol% FeS.  Refractory inclusions contain spinel, calcic pyroxene, and abundant nepheline that replaces melilite and other primary phases; some perovskite has been transformed to ilmenite. Some AOAs contain relict cores of forsterite, but most of the olivine has been converted to more fayalitic compositions; degree of oxidation of AOAs is similar to type 3.6 CO chondrites such as ALH 77003. Matrix is mildly recrystallized and sulfur-poor; matrix olivine has similar composition to olivine in fine-grained chondrules and inclusions.

Geochemistry: Magnetic susceptibility (R. Bartoschewitz), log ? (10^-9 m^3·kg^-1) = 4.68. Oxygen isotopes (I. Franchi and R. Greenwood, OU), average of two replicates, d¹⁷O = -5.90‰, d¹⁸O = -2.21‰, ?¹⁷O = -4.75‰.

Classification: Carbonaceous chondrite (CO3.6, scheme of Chizmadia et al., 2002); shock stage S2. 

Specimens: Type specimens of 20 g (stone 4) and 2 g (stone 3) are on deposit at SI. Main masses are held by those listed above.

Huge fragment (for Moss!) with crust.
About 23 x 22 x 17mm.