Tarda Carbonaceous Chondrite Individual, C2-ungrouped, 2.03g, Morocco Fall

A fresh-crusted individual from the 2020 Tarda carbonaceous fall

This is a complete 2.03 gram individual of Tarda, a C2-ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite that fell in Morocco in 2020. Roughly 80 percent of the stone keeps its original jet-black fusion crust, formed in the seconds of atmospheric entry, with the fine contraction cracks that are typical of a fresh carbonaceous fall. A small exposed face opens a window into the dark, water-altered matrix that makes this meteorite scientifically important. Carbonaceous chondrites are among the most primitive material available to collectors, and confirmed falls of this kind reach the market only occasionally. To learn more about the type, see our guide on what a chondrite is.

Structure and features of this individual

The stone presents as a rounded individual carrying fresh black fusion crust across most of its surface. Under close light the crust shows a matte to satiny finish broken by a network of contraction cracks, the record of rapid cooling after the piece stopped ablating. On one side a natural break exposes the interior: a dark grey to black carbonaceous matrix studded with pale flecks of chondrules and calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions, some of the oldest solids known in the Solar System. The specimen is shown alongside a one centimeter scale cube so you can judge its proportions. As a hydrated C2 chondrite, Tarda is best kept dry and stable, and this individual has been handled and stored with that care.

Discovery and provenance

Tarda fell on 25 August 2020 after a widely witnessed daytime fireball crossed southern Morocco on a southwest to northeast path. Thousands of small, mostly complete stones were recovered from a strewn field roughly 3 kilometers long, situated about 10 kilometers east of the town of Tarda, with individual masses ranging from a few milligrams up to about 99 grams. The Meteoritical Bulletin records a total known weight of approximately 4 kilograms. Because the stones were collected quickly after the fall, most retain unusually fresh fusion crust and minimal terrestrial contamination, which is part of what makes Tarda material valuable for both collectors and researchers. Browse related specimens in our Carbonaceous Chondrites collection.

Scientific context

Tarda is classified as C2-ungrouped, meaning it is a carbonaceous chondrite altered by water on its parent asteroid but not matching any of the established carbonaceous groups. Early analyses found that Tarda chemically resembles Tagish Lake, the famous Canadian C2-ungrouped fall, and that it is rich in water-bearing minerals, carbon, and organic compounds. That composition makes it a laboratory for questions about the delivery of water and organics to the early Earth. Confirmed carbonaceous chondrite falls are uncommon, numbering only about fifty across all groups, so a witnessed fall like Tarda occupies a small and closely studied category. The classification is published in the Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 109, and the meteorite is described in detail by Chennaoui Aoudjehane et al. (2021). You can also read our guide on what fusion crust is.

The story

Tarda arrived in daylight. According to the Meteoritical Bulletin, at around 2:30 in the afternoon on Tuesday, 25 August 2020, people across southern Morocco, from Alnif, Zagora, Tazarine and Rich, watched a fireball cross the sky from southwest to northeast. Eyewitnesses interviewed later, some up to 150 km away, described a “bright yellow, barrel-sized fireball with green edges,” trailed by thick white smoke that hung in the air for several seconds, and a whistle followed by several detonations.

Hundreds of people began searching the same day between Goulmima and Errachidia. The first piece was found the next day by Alalou Youssef, close to his village of Tarda, which gave the meteorite its name. Because the national road between Ouarzazate and Errachidia crosses the fall area, thousands of people soon arrived, and national television recorded the hunt. Many stones were recovered with magnets. The Bulletin records thousands of small stones, from a few milligrams to 99 g, most of them under a gram, in a strewn field about 3 km long, roughly 10 km east of Tarda. Many shattered when they hit the ground.

Source: Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Tarda, writeup from MB 109 (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane and A. Aaronson).

What the research reports

The Meteoritical Bulletin classifies Tarda as C2-ung, an ungrouped type 2 carbonaceous chondrite, from a confirmed fall in Morocco in 2020 with a total recorded mass of 4 kg. As of September 2026 it is one of 31 approved meteorites classified as C2-ung. The Bulletin assigns no group, and the research below does not propose one either; instead it ties Tarda to one specific ungrouped meteorite. These findings come from the authors’ own samples and methods and are given here as the studies state them.

Schrader et al. (2024): Tarda and Tagish Lake

D. L. Schrader, E. A. Cloutis, D. M. Applin, J. Davidson, Z. A. Torrano, D. Foustoukos, C. M. O’D. Alexander, K. J. Domanik, M. Matsuoka and T. Nakamura published Tarda and Tagish Lake: Samples from the same outer Solar System asteroid and implications for D- and P-type asteroids (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, volume 380, pages 48 to 70, 2024). Building on earlier isotope and noble gas work, they conclude that Tarda and Tagish Lake, which fell in Canada in 2000, are “samples from the same outer Solar System asteroid.” Meteorites of this kind have been proposed as samples of dark D-type asteroids that may have formed far out in the solar system, and they are the only meteorites currently thought to come from such asteroids.

Bates et al. (2024): a water-soaked parent body

H. C. Bates and colleagues published Extent of alteration, paleomagnetic history, and infrared spectral properties of the Tarda ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite (Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 2024). They found that Tarda has few intact chondrules and refractory inclusions and is dominated, at more than 70 percent by volume, by magnesium-rich clay minerals, along with carbonates, oxides and iron sulfides formed by extensive reactions between water and rock. Its magnetic minerals resemble those of the CI chondrites more than most CM chondrites, and the authors conclude its parent body formed at least beyond the water snowline of the early solar system.

Frequently asked questions

Is this meteorite authenticated?
Yes. Tarda is an officially classified, confirmed fall recorded in the Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 109. This individual ships with a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity and is offered by Treasure Coast Meteorite Co., IMCA member #3323.

What does 80 percent fusion crust mean?
It means roughly four fifths of the stone's surface is covered by the original black glassy crust formed during atmospheric entry, while the remaining surface is a natural break that exposes the interior matrix. A high percentage of intact crust is desirable on a complete individual.

What is a C2-ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite?
The C marks it as carbonaceous, the 2 indicates significant aqueous alteration on the parent body, and ungrouped means its chemistry does not fit any named carbonaceous group. Tarda is chemically comparable to Tagish Lake.

How should I care for it?
Carbonaceous chondrites are sensitive to humidity. Keep this individual dry, ideally in a stable display case away from moisture, and handle it with clean dry hands or gloves.

What is included?
The 2.03g individual shown, with a Treasure Coast Meteorite Co. certificate of authenticity.

Collector significance

A fresh-crusted individual from a witnessed carbonaceous fall is one of the more meaningful pieces a collector can hold. Tarda combines a documented 2020 fall, a Tagish Lake-like C2-ungrouped classification, and roughly 4 kilograms of total known weight, and this stone pairs that pedigree with about 80 percent original fusion crust and an exposed matrix face that shows the primitive interior. For a collection built around scientific significance rather than size alone, a complete Tarda individual is a natural centerpiece among carbonaceous material. Full classification data and provenance are published in the Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Tarda.