Aba Panu

Aba Panu is classified as an L3 unequilibrated ordinary chondrite. The "L" stands for low iron, while the "3" indicates its primitive nature, meaning its chondrules have remained largely unchanged since the solar system formed. This makes it incredibly valuable for studying early planetary building blocks.

The Aba Panu meteorite fell over Oyo State, Nigeria, in 2018. It created a spectacular strewn field that locals searched extensively to recover many individual stones. It was one of the largest meteorite falls to be recovered in the region.

Aba Panu is one of the most primitive chondrites recovered from West Africa. Because it is an unequilibrated L3 chondrite, its pristine chondrules provide scientists with a direct window into the original conditions of the early solar system. The massive amount of recovered material allowed for widespread academic sampling.

This meteorite made its spectacular entry in 2018, scattering numerous fragments across Nigeria. The event was widely reported locally, and hundreds of pieces weighing up to several kilograms were quickly collected from the fall zone. The rapid recovery ensured the specimens suffered very little weathering.