Meteorite Bechar 008, Howardite – Algeria

The Bechar 008 meteorite is a Howardite-type achondrite meteorite that was found in 2022 in the Bechar region of Algeria. This meteorite belongs to the HED (Howardites, Eucrites and Diogenites) group, which are thought to be fragments of the asteroid (4) Vesta, the second largest object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Bechar 008 is a polymictic breccia, meaning that it is composed of a variety of mineral and rock fragments, notably eucritic pyroxenes, diogenitic pyroxenes, garnets, and others. These fragments are embedded in a fine-grained matrix of similar material.

The total weight of the meteorite found is only about 1700 grams.

The meteorite shows a moderate degree of shock metamorphism and a low degree of weathering, indicating that it has not been exposed to terrestrial weathering for a long time. This meteorite is important for scientific study because it offers valuable information about the composition and geological history of asteroid 4 Vesta.