Tatahouine Diogenite Stony Meteorite Achondrites Specimen Fell June 24, 1931 Display
Location: Tunisia
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.
Tatahouine Diogenite stands as a distinguished achondrite specimen, a differentiated stony meteorite that descended to Earth on June 24, 1931. This material is theorized to have originated from 4 Vesta, the asteroid belt's prominent celestial body, offering profound insights into planetary formation and early solar system dynamics. The specimen's composition centers on orthopyroxene, an iron-magnesium silicate mineral responsible for its striking dark appearance and substantial density. Complementary minerals, including olivine, plagioclase feldspar, and metallic constituents, may be present, with their proportions varying based on the specimen's individual cooling trajectory and parent body metamorphism. For the discerning collector, this meteorite provides an exceptional opportunity to examine authentic extraterrestrial material that embodies the geochemical processes governing planetary differentiation and evolution.
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.
The formation of diogenites is closely linked to the geological history of Vesta. It is hypothesized that these meteorites formed from differentiated basaltic magma on Vesta's surface. As Vesta cooled, heavier minerals like orthopyroxene crystallized first and settled towards the bottom of magma chambers. Over time, impacts on Vesta could have excavated these materials and ejected them into space, where they eventually fell to Earth as meteorites.
The Tatahouine Diogenite exemplifies the scientific significance of achondrite meteorites in deciphering planetary stratification and early solar system conditions. As a member of the HED meteorite group—alongside howardites and eucrites—this specimen illuminates the differentiation mechanisms that shaped Vesta and comparable celestial bodies. While eucrites represent basaltic material from Vesta's crust and howardites constitute hybrid assemblages of both rock types, diogenites reveal the deeper mantle compositions through their orthopyroxene-dominated mineralogy. This hierarchical classification framework enables researchers to reconstruct the thermal and chemical evolution of parent bodies and establish comparative contexts for understanding planetary processes across the solar system. The Tatahouine specimen, having fallen in 1931, remains an invaluable resource for advancing knowledge of extraterrestrial differentiation and the primordial conditions that governed planetary development.
