Shergotty meteorite
| Shergotty meteorite | |
|---|---|
Image of the meteorite.
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| Type | Achondrite |
| Class | Martian meteorite |
| Group | Shergottite |
| Parent body | Mars |
| Country | India |
| Region | Shergotty, Gaya district, Bihar |
| Fall date | 1865-08-24 |
| TKW | 5-kilogram (11 lb) |
The Shergotty meteorite is the first example of the shergottite Mars meteorite family. It was a 5-kilogram (11 lb) Martian meteorite which fell to Earth at Shergotty (now Sherghati), in the Gaya district, Bihar, India on 25 August 1865, and was retrieved by witnesses almost immediately. This meteorite is relatively young; radiometric dating indicates that it solidified from a volcanic magma about 4.1 billion years ago. It is composed mostly of pyroxene and is thought to have undergone preterrestrial aqueous alteration for several centuries. Certain features within its interior are suggestive of being remnants of biofilm and their associated microbial communities.
Coordinates: 24°34′26.32″N 84°47′35.4″E / 24.5739778°N 84.793167°E
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