NWA 869 - L3-6 Ordinary Chondrite - Complete Individual - 5.82g - Northwest Africa

A complete 5.82g individual of NWA 869, the classic L3-6 regolith breccia from Northwest Africa.

NWA 869 is one of the best-known Northwest African meteorites and is widely collected for its varied structure and availability in many specimen types. It is classified as an L3-6 Ordinary Chondrite, meaning it contains material that ranges from relatively primitive type 3 clasts to more thermally altered type 6 material within the same meteorite. This unusual range reflects a brecciated history, where different materials from the parent asteroid were mixed together by impacts before the meteorite eventually reached Earth.

Specimens of NWA 869 can show a grey-green to brown interior with visible chondrules, metal grains, and light or dark clasts. Many pieces display natural desert-polished surfaces, wind abrasion, or remnants of fusion crust, while cut fragments often reveal the brecciated internal texture. Its L Chondrite composition means it has lower metallic iron than H Chondrites, but still contains enough metal to show small reflective grains in prepared pieces.

For collectors, NWA 869 offers an excellent example of a brecciated Ordinary Chondrite with strong educational and display value. Its varied internal features make it especially useful for comparing different levels of thermal alteration within a single meteorite. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material from the early solar system, preserved in a meteorite that has become a classic reference point for many collections.