Diogenite Meteorites Asteroid 4 Vesta Specimen NMW 7831 Western Sahara Display
Location: Western Sahara
Weight: 0.4 Ounces (Display)
Dimensions: 2.3 Inches Long, 1.5 Inches Wide, 0.6 Inches Thick (Display)
Comes with a Free Display Case.
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Diogenite is a type of meteorite classified within the group of achondrites, which are stony meteorites that have undergone differentiation and crystallization processes similar to those that occur in planetary bodies. Specifically, diogenites are believed to originate from the asteroid 4 Vesta, one of the largest bodies in the asteroid belt. This classification is part of a broader understanding of meteorites and their origins, which provides insights into the early solar system's formation and evolution.
Diogenites are primarily composed of orthopyroxene, a mineral that is rich in iron and magnesium. The presence of this mineral gives diogenites their characteristic dark color and dense structure. In addition to orthopyroxene, diogenites may contain other minerals such as olivine, plagioclase, and various metallic phases. The specific mineralogical composition can vary among individual specimens, reflecting different cooling histories or parent body processes.
The texture of diogenites is typically coarse-grained due to slow cooling rates during their formation. This slow cooling allows for the growth of larger crystals compared to other types of meteorites. Some diogenites exhibit a cumulate texture, indicating that they formed from the accumulation of crystals settling out from a molten state.
Diogenites are believed to have formed as part of the early magmatic evolution of the asteroid 4 Vesta. These meteorites originated from basaltic melts that underwent differentiation as Vesta cooled. During this process, dense minerals—especially orthopyroxene—crystallized early and sank within subsurface magma chambers, forming layered igneous rocks. Later, powerful impact events on Vesta excavated these deep-seated materials and launched them into space, allowing fragments to eventually reach Earth as meteorites.
Research on diogenites offers important insights into planetary differentiation—the process by which early celestial bodies separated into distinct layers according to density and composition—and sheds light on the physical and chemical conditions that existed during the formative stages of the solar system.
Based on their mineralogical and chemical characteristics, diogenites are placed within the HED meteorite clan, a group that also includes howardites and eucrites. Within this framework, howardites represent brecciated mixtures of diogenitic and eucritic material, while eucrites are basaltic meteorites formed from volcanic processes on the same parent body. Although all three types share a common origin on asteroid 4 Vesta, diogenites are distinguished by their unique mineral composition and deep-seated igneous formation.
This classification aids researchers in tracing back the origins and evolutionary history of these celestial materials while providing context for understanding similar bodies throughout our solar system.
