Lunar Meteorite: El Milhas 001

The two stones of El Milhas 001. Photo credit: James Tobin
Sawn face of the smaller stone of El Milhas 001. Photo credit: James Tobin

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

El Milhas 001

Mauritania
Find: 2022 April
Mass: 385.3 g (2 pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Two similar-appearing stones were found together in Mauritania in April 2022 at 25.684°N, 7.173°W and were subsequently purchased by Jason Phillips and James Tobin from a Mauritanian dealer in May 2022.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine (with a wide compositional range), low-Ca pyroxene, unexsolved pigeonite, exsolved pigeonite and augite, together with some troctolitic lithic clasts, in a fine grained matrix containing taenite, pentlandite and troilite. The troctolitic clasts are composed predominantly of Mg-rich olivine and anorthite in distinct monomineralic layers.

Geochemistry: Anorthite (An96.3-97.6Or0.0, N = 3), olivine (Fa12.2-54.9, FeO/MnO = 94-99, N = 4), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs10.2-10.3Wo4.4-4.8, FeO/MnO = 52-57, N = 2), pigeonite (Fs23.1-23.9Wo10.7-7.9, FeO/MnO = 56-60, N = 2), augite exsolution lamellae (Fs5.3-5.4Wo43.1-43.0, FeO/MnO = 31-38, N = 2), pigeonite exsolution lamella (Fs11.6Wo7.0, FeO/MnO = 59), augite (Fs10.2Wo42.3, FeO/MnO = 39; Fs21.7Wo37.6, FeO/MnO = 61; N = 2).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 24.8 g in the form of a polished endcut at UWB; remainder held jointly by Mr. J. Phillips and Mr. J. Tobin.

Randy Says…

I have not studied El Milhas 001.


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More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

El Milhas 001