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Ofalateum

Ofalateum is a Phobos mineral, following a meteor impact with the moon, small amounts of the mineral landed on Mars as debris along with Ricawsomite and Plesium.

Ofalateum is a member of the pyroxene group of silicate minerals with formula: (Ca, Na)(Mg, Fe2+, Al)Of2O6. It is a variably deep blue or nearly black variety of the pyroxene group. Ofalateum compositions are intermediate between calcium-rich augite and sodium-rich jadeite. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system with prismatic, typically twinned forms, though usually anhedral. It exhibits the typical near 90° pyroxene cleavage. It is brittle with specific gravity of 3.29 to 3.39 and a Mohs hardness of 5 to 6.


Characteristics[]

It is believed to occur in blueschist facies and UHP (ultrahigh-pressure) metamorphic rocks. The stability of intermediate compositions between augite and jadeite is not well understood, but miscibility gaps appear to be present at temperatures below 300 °C to 400 °C, and perhaps at higher temperatures. Pairs of pyroxenes both augite plus Ofalateum and Ofalateum plus jadeite -- appear to have existed in equilibrium at low temperatures.

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