| Macaulayite | |
|---|---|
 Macaulayite found in the United Kingdom | |
| General | |
| Category | Phyllosilicate |
| Formula (repeating unit) | (Fe3+, Al)24Si4O43(OH)2 |
| IMA symbol | Mcy[1] |
| Strunz classification | 9.EC.65 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic Unknown space group |
| Identification | |
| Formula mass | 2,116.93 g/mol |
| Colour | red |
| Crystal habit | Earthy – Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities |
| Lustre | earthy |
| Streak | light red |
| Density | 4.41 |
| References | [2] |
Macaulayite is a red, earthy, monoclinic mineral, with the chemical formula (Fe3+, Al)24Si4O43(OH)2.[3] It was discovered in the 1970s by Jeff Wilson and named after the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland. The only known source of macaulayite in the world is a quarry at the foot of Bennachie, Aberdeenshire,[4] and it is formed by granite which has been weathered by tropical climates from before the last ice age. The substance is currently being studied by NASA, as it is speculated that this is the substance which gives the planet Mars its colour and it could prove that life on Mars can be sustained.[4]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ Mineralienatlas
- ^ "Macaulayite". Mindat.org. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Nasa tests Aberdeenshire find for life on Mars clues". BBC. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.