{"title":"NWA 15233 - Howardite Melt Breccia","description":"\u003cp\u003eNWA 15233 is a rare Howardite Melt Breccia purchased in May 2022 from a group of meteorite hunters in Nouadhibou, Mauritania. Howardites belong to the HED Achondrite family, a group strongly linked to asteroid 4 Vesta, and represent mixed surface material from its crust. With a reported total known weight of only 152 g, NWA 15233 is a very limited meteorite and one of a small number officially classified as Howardite Melt Breccia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNWA 15233 specimens are described as dark brownish fragments, some with minor fusion crust. Petrographic study identifies it as a complex melt rock-supported breccia, containing basaltic clasts, black impact melt clasts, mineral fragments, and finely recrystallised melt rock. Its mineralogy includes pyroxene, olivine, calcic plagioclase, silica, chromite, ilmenite, troilite, and metallic iron, with about 15 percent material of Diogenitic composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudying NWA 15233 provides valuable insight into impact melting, breccia formation, and surface mixing on asteroid 4 Vesta. Its Howardite classification, melt-breccia texture, high shock history, and low total known weight make it especially appealing for collectors focused on rare HED Achondrites and Vestan material. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid crust, shaped by volcanic activity, impact processing, and eventual delivery to Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0757\/0518\/8678\/collections\/Collection_Place_Holder_34bf72c1-8d4f-485f-8ab3-4a491736e271.jpg?v=1780518352","url":"https:\/\/outerspacer.com\/collections\/nwa-15233-howardite-melt-breccia.oembed","provider":"OuterSpacer Meteorites","version":"1.0","type":"link"}