Lunar Meteorite: Dhofar 1769

I found the 5 photos above of Dhofar 1769 on ebay. This is an extraordinary appearing lunar meteorite. Photo credits: anonymous owner
Lab sample of Dhofar 1769. The large clast on the right is an impact-melt breccia. Photo credit: Randy Korotev

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 104

Dhofar 1769

Zufar, Oman
Found: 2012 October 28
Mass: 125.4 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite

History: A single stone was found by an anonymous finder Oct. 28, 2012

Petrography: (A. Bischoff, M. Weyrauch, H. Haack) The anorthositic highland breccia contains clasts up to 1 cm, which are mainly anorthositic lithologies and crystalline impact melt breccias. It also contains glassy fragments, some of which are highly vesicular, veins, and impact spherules (mostly devitrified) embedded in a fine-grained, clastic matrix. The spherules indicate an origin at the lunar surface. Accessory minerals: ilmenite (abundant), troilite, FeNi metal (rare), and zircon (very rare).

Geochemistry: SEM-EDS-analyses revealed that plagioclase in the bulk rock is anorthitic with a mean of An93.4±5.1 (total range: An70-97; n = 32). Olivine is highly variable in composition Fo20-60 (mean: Fo40±9; n = 16; Fe/Mn = approx. 110 (EDS)). Low-Ca pyroxene also shows variable composition with Fs20-58En29-77Wo2.5-15 (mean: Fs37.5±10En54.6±10Wo7.8±3.3; n = 28; Fe/Mn = approx. 60 (EDS). Some analyzed Ca-pyroxenes have Fs18-34En28-45Wo33-41. The meteorite is moderately weathered.

Classification: Lunar meteorite (anorthositic breccia)

Specimens: 20 g at NHMD; main mass with anonymous finder.

Randy Says…

Dhofar 1769 is a moderately KREEP-rich, feldspathic lunar meteorite somewhat similar to Apollo 16 soil in composition.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Dhofar 1769

Map

Schematic Map of  Find Locations of  Lunar Meteorites from Oman

References

Bischoff A., Komnik M., Storz J., and Berndt J. (2023) Anorthositic lunar regolith breccia Dhofar 1769 – Clear indications for repeated mixing of impact melt lithologies. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 1260-1273. doi.org/10.1111/maps.14052

Korotev R. L. (2017) Update (2012–2017) on lunar meteorites from Oman. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 52, 1251-1256.

All Korotev data on Omani lunar meteorites.

Korotev R. L. and Irving A. J. (2017) Still not keeping up with the lunar meteorites – 2017. Lunar and Planetary Science XLVIII, abstract no. 1498.

Xu X., Hui H., Chen W., Huang S., Neal C. R., and Xu X. (2020) Formation of lunar highlands anorthosites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 536, 116138. doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116138

Lunar Meteorites
List – ABC123 Order
List – Al2O3 Order