This meteorite is designated NWA 6694 and was discovered in Morocco in 2009. Like most of the meteorites of this region, 6694’s descent was not observed, but later found in the desert where it could be spotted against the light sands. 6694 is what is known as an achondrite meteorite, having a stony appearance like igneous rocks here on Earth. It is further classified as an HED meteorite, a specific type of meteorite that was likely ejected from the crust of Vesta, the second-largest object in the main asteroid belt.

This meteorite cross-section is a one-of-a-kind specimen and currently the only NWA 6694 sample we have in our collection. It ships in a large riker display case along with a metal display stand as well as a certificate of authenticity.

A meteorite has a long journey to take to arrive on Earth. Beyond the treacherous journey through the void of space, past the fiery resistance of our planet’s atmosphere, most meteorites don’t survive to land on Earth.

Those that do make it to the surface may never be found at all, either sunk to the bottom of the ocean or simply lost in rough terrain. However, there is one environment on Earth that is the perfect spot for collecting meteorites: deserts.

Deserts are the ideal region for collecting meteorites because of the relative uniformity of their terrain in both color and size, making an out-of-place object like a meteorite easier to spot. The deserts that have yielded up meteorite finds include the Chihuahuan Desert that stretches into New Mexico, the Nullarbor Plain in Australia, Antarctica (a polar desert), and on the outer stretches of the mighty Sahara in North Africa.

The insight that deserts could harbor so many meteorites is a relatively recent discovery. Although these regions were first beginning to be searched in the late 1960s into the early 1970s, it wasn’t until the nineties that it began in earnest. The number of documented meteorites hovered around 2,000 in 1972. Over three decades, that number ballooned to 30,000.

Although these regions have been a boon to scientists studying meteorites, the vast stretches of land where they’re found mean that oftentimes those finding meteorites are locals. Discovered meteorites are then sold, and enter a complex global marketplace that circulates these extraterrestrial rocks around the world for identification. Oftentimes, meteorites will be found to be part of a larger fall, but occasionally they will be unique material that is given their own designation. This particular meteorite is designated NWA 6694, located in 2009.