What Does NWA XXX Mean?
Reference Guide
NWA stands for Northwest Africa. When followed by a number, like NWA 7034, the combination identifies one specific meteorite that has been formally analyzed and entered into the Meteoritical Bulletin. The letters identify the dense collection region where the meteorite was recovered. The number is a sequential identifier assigned in the order the meteorite was approved by the Meteoritical Society's Nomenclature Committee. Together they form a unique scientific name.
The Two Meanings of NWA XXX
The phrase NWA XXX appears in two distinct contexts and the difference is important.
Every classified Northwest African meteorite has its own NWA number. The number is permanent and never reused.
Why the System Exists
Meteorite names are normally tied to the place where the specimen was recovered. A meteorite found near the town of Chelyabinsk is named Chelyabinsk. One observed falling on a farm in Murchison, Australia is named Murchison. This convention works well when the find site is precisely known.
Northwest Africa presents a different problem. Across Morocco, Algeria, Western Sahara, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and surrounding desert regions, thousands of meteorites have been recovered by nomadic finders and commercial hunters working across vast and remote terrain. In most cases the precise find location is not documented at the time of recovery. Without a specific place name to assign, the Meteoritical Society's Nomenclature Committee uses a regional designation paired with a sequential number.
The NWA system exists to give every meteorite a permanent unique name when the find location is too imprecise to support a traditional place-based name.
The Dense Collection Area System
NWA is the most familiar example of a Dense Collection Area, or DCA. A DCA is a geographic region that has produced so many meteorite finds without precise location data that the Nomenclature Committee has approved a generic prefix for the entire region. Numbers are assigned sequentially in the order each meteorite is approved, with no relation to where within the region it was found, when it was found, or how scientifically significant it is.
The Meteoritical Society publishes guidelines for DCA naming. Once a region is approved as a DCA, all qualifying finds from within its boundaries receive the regional prefix followed by the next available number.
Other Regional Designations You Will See
NWA is the largest and best known DCA, but it is not the only one. The Meteoritical Bulletin uses several regional prefixes for areas that have produced numerous finds without precise location data.
Antarctic meteorites use a separate naming system based on the field area where the specimen was collected, such as ALH for Allan Hills or LEW for Lewis Cliff, followed by a year and number.
What the Number Does Not Tell You
A common misconception is that a higher NWA number indicates a more important, more recent, or more valuable meteorite. None of that is true. The number is purely sequential within the order in which meteorites are approved by the Nomenclature Committee.
NWA 7034 simply means it was the 7,034th meteorite from Northwest Africa to be formally approved by the Nomenclature Committee. NWA 17706 was the 17,706th. The number itself carries no scientific information. The classification, total known weight, and pairing notes are what determine significance.
NWA 7034, also known as Black Beauty, is one of the most scientifically important meteorites ever recovered. Its number is far lower than NWA 18000-series finds that may be ordinary chondrites of routine interest. Significance is determined by what the meteorite is, not by where its number falls in the sequence.
How to Verify Any Name Yourself
The Meteoritical Bulletin Database is the authoritative public record for every officially named meteorite. Any NWA name with its full number can be looked up directly. The database returns the classification, find location detail where known, total known weight, petrographic description, and the classifying institution.
Search any NWA name by number to view its full Bulletin entry. The database is free and requires no login.
Open Meteoritical Bulletin DatabaseTreasure Coast Meteorite Co. provides a direct Meteoritical Bulletin link on every listing for a classified specimen so the name and classification can be verified independently before any purchase.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does NWA stand for?
Northwest Africa. It is the regional designation used by the Meteoritical Society for meteorites recovered from Morocco, Algeria, Western Sahara, and surrounding desert regions where precise find locations are not documented.
What does the number after NWA mean?
It is a sequential identifier assigned by the Meteoritical Society's Nomenclature Committee in the order each meteorite is approved. NWA 7034 was the 7,034th Northwest African meteorite approved. The number is unique and permanent but carries no information about scientific significance, rarity, or value.
Does a higher NWA number mean a more important meteorite?
No. Higher numbers simply reflect more recent approval dates. Some of the most scientifically significant Northwest African meteorites have low numbers and some routine ordinary chondrites have very high numbers. Classification and total known weight determine significance, not the sequence number.
Why do some meteorites have place names instead of NWA designations?
When the find location is precisely documented at the time of recovery, the meteorite is named after that place. NWA designations are used specifically when the find location is not precisely known. Witnessed falls almost always receive place names because the impact site is recorded directly.
Is NWA XXX a real meteorite?
No. NWA XXX is a placeholder for any Northwest African meteorite where the specific number has not been filled in. A real meteorite always has an actual number, such as NWA 17706 or NWA 7034, and a corresponding entry in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database.
How can I verify an NWA name is legitimate?
Search the exact name on the Meteoritical Bulletin Database at lpi.usra.edu/meteor. A legitimate name returns a full entry with classification, total known weight, and classifier information. If no entry exists for an NWA number, the name has not been formally approved and should be treated as unverified.
Does Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. provide Bulletin links for every NWA listing?
Yes. Unless specifically stated as unclassified in the listing title or description, every NWA specimen sold by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. is Meteoritical Bulletin classified and every listing includes the direct database link. Every purchase ships with a certificate of authenticity. IMCA #3323.
