Lunar Meteorite: Rabt Sbayta 007

...and an unnamed assumed pair

Rabt Sbayta 007 (4.4 kg). Photo credit: Ahmad Bouragaa
Interior of Rabt Sbayta 007.  Photo credit: Bob Falls
Two views of unnamed 143. Photo credits: Lhcen Ouabicha
Lab sample of Rabt Sbayta 007.  Photo credit: Randy Korotev
Lab sample of unnamed 143. Photo credit: Randy Korotev

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 106

Rabt Sbayta 007

Rio de Oro, Western Sahara
Find: 2016 August
Mass: 4432 g (1 piece)

Lunar Meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purportedly found NE of Bir Anzarane and purchased by Ben Hoefnagels in February 2017 from a dealer in Ouarzazate, Morocco.

Physical characteristics: A single elongate stone (4432 g) exhibiting whitish mineral and lithic clasts in a medium gray, very fine-grained matrix.

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of numerous mineral clasts plus some lithic clasts (themselves breccias) in a finer grained matrix. Minerals include anorthite, olivine, orthopyroxene, pigeonite, subcalcic augite, ilmenite, chromite, troilite and taenite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa11.0-33.3, FeO/MnO = 71-101, N = 6), orthopyroxene (Fs18.2-19.4Wo4.6-4.1, FeO/MnO = 51-56, N = 2), pigeonite (Fs31.2Wo7.3; Fs48.6Wo5.5; FeO/MnO = 58-61), subcalcic augite (Fs51.7-59.5Wo27.0-29.3, FeO/MnO = 67-72, N = 2), plagioclase (An93.0-95.7Or1.0, N = 2).

Bulk Composition: (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of subsamples gave the following mean abundances (in wt.%) FeO 4.9, Na2O 0.35; (in ppm) Sc 9.3, Ni 140, La 3.8, Sm 1.83, Eu 0.83, Yb 1.4, Lu 0.20, Hf 1.3, Th 0.63.

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia). Although this lunar specimen was found in the same dense collection area as the Rabt Sbayta 002, Rabt Sbayta 004, Rabt Sbayta 005 and Rabt Sbayta 006 stones (but at a different location from Gataa Sfar), it differs from those stones in both petrologic and bulk compositional characteristics and thus is not paired with them (nor with Rabt Sbayta 008).

Specimens: 35.1 g including a polished slice at UWB; remainder with Mr. B. Hoefnagels.

Randy Says…

I assume pairing because the 2 stones have very similar compositions. The meteorite is a KREEP-bearing (minor) feldspathic lunar meteorite.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Rabt Sbayta 007

References

Korotev R. L. and Irving A. J. (2021) Lunar meteorites from northern Africa. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 206–240. 

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