Many individual masses from this shower-producing meteorite have been recovered in Taza, Morocco, having a total weight of 75.3 kg.  This meteorite has been assigned number 859 in the NWA series.  Many of the masses have well-oriented shapes.  Taza is chemically anomalous and unrelated to any established iron chemical group. However, Taza has an elemental composition very similar to the ungrouped, plessitic iron, Butler, and the two may be grouped together. They have an extremely high Ge concentration of ~2000 ppm (Taza varies from 1500-5000 ppm), four times higher than any other iron meteorite.  A high Ni content of ~16% promotes kamacite to form discontinuous, pointed spindles, rimmed by taenite, having widths of ~0.15 mm. Tetrataenite (~50% Ni) forms a narrow border on some kamacite spindles.  In the dense, fine-grained plessite matrix, this spindle pattern is repeated on a scale ten times finer to form a micro-Widmanstätten structure.  This uncommon plessitic microstructure is transitional between the octahedrites and the ataxites.  The text was written by meteorite studies for more information on Taza go to our links page and click on to meteorite studies.

A great looking end slice with a etched cut face.   The specimen weight is 511 grams and has a polished finish. The specimen has been etched and displays kamacite spindles in a Widmanstätten pattern.  Below is a close-up view of the specimen