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Kosmochlor vs Azurite (planetary science edition)

How Kool is that? Kosmochloric Ca-rich pyroxenes with olivine (Kool grains) were found in dust particles collected from comet 81P/Wild by the Stardust spacecraft.

Although azurite has not been found yet on Mars, Curiosity has detected enhanced abundanced of copper at Gale crater. Azurite is usually found in oxidized zones of Cu-bearing ore deposits.

#MinCup25 #Kosmochlor #Azurite

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Julia Semprich Sep 9, 2025

Vote here: https://www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1m09

References:
Joswiak et al., 2009. Kool grains in Stardust tracks. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01192.x
Goetz et al., 2023. Detection of copper in Gale crater. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021JE007101

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Click here to vote in Kosmochlor vs Azurite Kosmochlor photo credit: The Met Museum. Azurite photo credit: Harold Moritz

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