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.

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Diogenites are a class of achondritic meteorites—stony meteorites that formed through melting and differentiation within a planetary body rather than remaining primitive. These meteorites are widely believed to originate from the asteroid 4 Vesta, one of the largest and most geologically evolved objects in the asteroid belt. Their study provides important evidence for early planetary processes active during the formation of the solar system.

Mineralogically, diogenites are dominated by orthopyroxene, an iron- and magnesium-rich silicate mineral that gives them a dark coloration and relatively high density. Minor constituents may include olivine, plagioclase feldspar, and metallic phases, with variations in composition reflecting differences in crystallization conditions and internal processes within the parent body.

Diogenites typically display a coarse-grained crystalline texture, indicating slow cooling deep within Vesta’s crust or mantle. In many cases, they exhibit cumulate textures, formed when early-crystallizing minerals settled out of molten magma and accumulated at the base of magma chambers.

Their origin is closely tied to Vesta’s volcanic and magmatic history. As molten material cooled, dense minerals such as orthopyroxene crystallized first and sank within the magma. Later, powerful impact events excavated these deep-seated rocks and launched them into space, eventually delivering them to Earth as meteorites.

Diogenites are part of the HED meteorite group, which also includes eucrites and howardites. Eucrites represent basaltic crustal rocks, while howardites are brecciated mixtures of eucritic and diogenitic material. Together, these meteorites provide a detailed record of planetary differentiation, magmatic activity, and impact processes on small rocky bodies early in solar system history.