Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 15300

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Northwest Africa 15300 (NWA 15300)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2016
Mass: 113 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (melt breccia)

History: Purchased in Morocco from Aziz Habibi by Jay Piatek in 2016.

Physical Characteristics: Exterior has an irregular surface topography with significant oxidation staining. A sawcut surface reveals this meteorite to be a breccia with scattered fragments of light and brown colored clasts set in dark gray matrix.

Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Electron microprobe analysis and reflected light microscopy of a polished mount show mineral and microgabbro clasts scattered in a microcrystalline vesicular melt rock matrix. Minor amounts of ilmenite, silica, Fe-metal (low Ni), and Cr-spinel were detected. Barite, which is presumably a weathering product, was also detected.

Geochemistry: (A. Ross, UNM) Olivine Fa_46.6±22.6, Fe/Mn=91±6, n=6; clinopyroxene Fs_36.3±17.3Wo_14.8±11.2, Fe/Mn=55±10, n=7; plagioclase An_95.1±1.0, n=4; shock melt (30 μm beam) SiO₂=43.3±0.4, Al₂O₃=29.6±0.8, TiO₂=0.22±0.04, FeO=4.0±0.6, MgO=3.8±0.04, CaO=15.9±0.3, n=6 (all wt%).

Classification: Lunar melt breccia.

Specimens: 20.5 g on deposit at UNM, Jay Piatek holds the main mass.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 15300.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 15303