Lunar Meteorite: Dhofar 1769





from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 104 Dhofar 1769Zufar, Oman 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 InformationMeteoritical Bulletin DatabaseDhofar 1769 MapSchematic Map of Find Locations of Lunar Meteorite from Oman ReferencesKorotev 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. |