Amgala 001 Martian Shergottite Meteorite Complete Individual, 40.80g, Exposed Shock Veins and Regmaglypts

A 40.80g complete individual with shock veins exposed across the exterior

This 40.80g complete individual of Amgala 001 stands apart for the network of dark shock veins visible directly on its weathered exterior, a feature that usually remains hidden inside cut and polished specimens. Decades of Saharan sandblasting wore down portions of the original fusion crust, exposing these thin opaque veins where they intersect the surface. The specimen retains its full natural form with no breaks, no fractures, and no cut faces, and displays the rounded regmaglypt depressions and remnant fusion crust patches that record its passage through Earth's atmosphere.

Surface features and shock signatures

The exterior shows the knobby, sandblasted morphology characteristic of Amgala finds, with thumb-printed regmaglypts distributed across the upper and side surfaces. Patches of darker remnant fusion crust remain in protected hollows, evidence of the specimen's atmospheric entry. The shock veins visible at the surface form thin, dark opaque lineations that trace the violent ejection event that launched this rock from Mars. According to the published petrography, these veins crosscut a groundmass of zoned clinopyroxene and lath-like maskelynite, the latter a dense glass formed when plagioclase feldspar was shock-converted under the immense pressures of impact. Zoned olivine phenocrysts up to 2mm are documented within the matrix, giving Amgala 001 its formal designation as an olivine-phyric shergottite.

Olivine-phyric shergottite from Mars

Shergottites form the largest group of Martian meteorites and represent volcanic rocks that crystallized from lava flows on the Martian surface. The Mars origin of shergottites is confirmed through analysis of trapped gases in shock-melted glass pockets, which match the Martian atmospheric composition measured directly by Viking and subsequent Mars missions. Olivine-phyric shergottites like Amgala 001 are distinguished by large olivine crystals set in a finer-grained groundmass, indicating a two-stage cooling history within Martian magma chambers and lava flows. Radioisotope dating of shergottites consistently returns crystallization ages between roughly 150 and 600 million years, far younger than the planet itself, evidence that volcanic activity continued well into the Amazonian period, the most recent geological era on Mars.

For more on how meteorites are classified and connected to their parent bodies, visit our Learn About Meteorites resource page.

Frequently asked questions

Is this meteorite authenticated? Yes. Amgala 001 is classified in the Meteoritical Bulletin as a Martian shergottite (olivine-phyric). View the official entry: Amgala 001. Every specimen ships with a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity and a specimen card listing the classification details.

How do we know this rock is from Mars? Trapped gases inside shock-melted glass pockets within shergottites match the composition of the Martian atmosphere measured by Viking and later spacecraft. The isotopic ratios of argon, nitrogen, and xenon in these gases are unique to Mars and rule out any terrestrial or other planetary origin.

What are the dark linear features visible on the surface? Those are shock veins, thin opaque lineations formed when the parent rock was fractured and partially melted by the shock wave of the impact that ejected it from Mars. On most shergottites these veins are only visible internally on cut and polished surfaces. On this specimen they are exposed on the exterior where Saharan wind erosion wore through the original fusion crust.

Is this a complete individual or a fragment? Complete individual. The specimen has no cut faces, no breaks, and no fractures. It retains its natural shape with regmaglypts and remnant fusion crust intact.

What is a shergottite? Shergottites are basaltic to ultramafic igneous rocks that crystallized from volcanic activity on Mars. They are named after the Shergotty meteorite that fell in India in 1865 and form the largest subgroup of Martian meteorites. Olivine-phyric shergottites, the subtype to which Amgala 001 belongs, contain prominent olivine phenocrysts in a finer-grained matrix.

What's included

The 40.80g Amgala 001 complete individual, a membrane display box, a custom crescent display stand, a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity, and a specimen card listing classification details.

Collector significance

Martian meteorites represent under 0.5 percent of all classified meteorites worldwide and remain one of the rarest categories available to private collectors. Amgala 001 entered the market in late 2022 from a single recovery in Western Sahara totaling 34.67 kg, and supply has tightened considerably since the initial offerings. This 40.80g complete individual is a substantial display piece that combines the integrity of an unbroken stone with the visual interest of exposed shock veins, a combination that typically requires choosing between an intact exterior and visible internal features. The included crescent display stand presents the specimen at an angle that shows multiple surfaces simultaneously, while the membrane box provides protected storage when the piece is not on display.

Browse the full Martian Meteorites collection or explore additional planetary and achondrite material in the Stony Meteorites collection.

Classification reference

Meteoritical Bulletin: Amgala 001 | Classification: Martian (olivine-phyric shergottite) | Find: Saguia el Hamra, Western Sahara, December 2022 | Total Known Weight: 34.67 kg