Meteorite NWA 10256

NWA 10256 (CR2 Carbonaceous Chondrite) – Africa, 2015

• Genuine meteorite in removable specimen jar
• Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
• Freestanding acrylic educational display
• Black cotton-padded box, perfect for gifting

This display contains an authentic slice of NWA 10256, a rare CR2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorite recovered in 2015 in Northwest Africa. Its structure contains abundant ancient chondrules, rounded mineral grains that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago from molten material in the cloud of gas and dust surrounding our young Sun.

The meteorite is also known to contain rare calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). These remarkable grains are the oldest dated solid objects in our Solar System, having formed at its very beginning.

NWA 10256 also preserves evidence of another surprisingly familiar ingredient: water. After its original materials accumulated into an asteroid, liquid water reacted with some of its minerals, leaving behind a chemical record of conditions on a primitive planetary body billions of years before oceans existed on Earth.

This meteorite also has an unusual connection to NASA's Stardust mission, which returned microscopic particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 to Earth. In a 2017 study, researchers used powdered NWA 10256 as an experimental analog for the cometary material, firing it into silica aerogel at 6.1 km/s—the same impact speed experienced by Wild 2 particles during Stardust collection. The experiment showed that magnetite from the meteorite could survive this violent capture process, supporting the interpretation that magnetite found in the actual comet samples was indigenous and may record aqueous alteration—interaction with liquid water—within the comet’s parent body. In other words, NWA 10256 helped scientists test how to interpret material brought back from a comet.

Each genuine meteorite fragment is housed in a museum-inspired display that turns this ancient scientific specimen into an object you can appreciate every day. Natural variations make every piece unique. You will receive one of several slices we have available of this genuine meteorite, most around 1cm in size.

A fascinating gift for space enthusiasts, scientists, collectors, teachers, and anyone who wants to hold a tangible piece of the Solar System's earliest history.