Northwest Africa 12721, 12847 and 12850: three new carbonaceous chondrites from Sahara

Here are presented the minerochemical and textural features of three new carbonaceous chondrites from Sahara classified in 2019 at the Museo di Storia Naturale-SMA dell’Università di Firenze, Italy. All specimens were collected by nomads in Western Sahara. The first one, weighing 105 g, was purchased in March 2018 by Hichame Mimaghador at Erfoud. CAIs are visible on the hand specimen cut surface. A total of 25 g specimen (inventory N° I3372) is on deposit at Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze-SMA. Mimaghador holds the main mass. The second one, a single small piece without fusion crust and weighing 15 g with CAIs visible on the cut surface, was purchased by Romano Serra at the Bologna Mineral Show in March 2017. A total of 3.2 g specimen (inventory N° I3555) is on deposit at Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze-SMA. The Museo del Cielo e della Terra di San Giovanni in Persiceto (Bologna, Italy) holds the main mass. The third one, a single piece weighing 42 g displaying chondrules and without fusion crust, was purchased by Mario Di Martino at the Torino Mineral Show in October 2017. The cut surface displays scattered CAIs. A total of 8.6 g specimen (inventory N° I3446) is on deposit at Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze-SMA. Di Martino holds the main mass The three meteorites have been submitted for classification and officially approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society under the names Northwest Africa 12721, 12847 and 12850, respectively.