Lunar Meteorite: Graves Nunataks 06157

Graves Nunataks 06157 in the field and in the NASA/JSC lab. Photo credits: NASA/JSC
Two views of small samples of GRA 06157. Millimeter ticks for scale. Photo credit: Randy Korotev
Back-scattered electron image (gray-scale) and a red-green-blue elemental x-ray map of a thin section of GRA 06157. In BSE images, brightness increases with mean atomic mass. The darkest areas are rich in plagioclase (Al) and the lightest areas are rich in mafic (Fe-bearing) minerals. In the X-ray map, areas rich in Al (plagioclase) are bright red, areas rich in Mg are bright green (olivine), and areas rich in Fe (pyroxene or FeNi metal) are bright blue. The scale bar applies to the BSE image. Image credit: Ryan Zeigler

Listed in The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 94, September 2008. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, 1551–1588 (2008)

Classification from Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2007

Graves Nunataks 06157 (GRA 06157)

Location: Graves Nunataks, Antarctica
Field No.: 17724
Dimensions (cm): 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5
Mass: 0.788 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar-Anorthositic Breccia

Macroscopic Description: Kathleen McBride. The exterior has no fusion crust and is a gray color with white and cream colored clasts. The interior is a gray matrix with white clasts throughout.

Thin Section (,2) Description: Tim McCoy, Lauren LaCroix and Linda Welzenbach. The section shows a groundmass of comminuted pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase with grain sizes up to 1 mm. One-half of the section exhibits a darkened matrix. Olivine is Fa7-54, pyroxene ranges from Fs19-66Wo2-45 (Fe/Mn ~ 60), and plagioclase An94-97. The meteorite is lunar, probably an anorthositic regolith breccia.

Randy Says…

At 0.79 g, GRA 06157 the smallest named lunar meteorite.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database
GRA 06157
Map
ANSMET Location Map
References

Korotev R. L. and Zeigler R. A. (2014) Chapter 6. ANSMET Meteorites from the Moon, Thirty-five Seasons of U.S. Antarctic Meteorites (1976–2010): A Pictorial Guide to the Collection (editors K. Righter, R. P. Harvey, C. M. Corrigan, and T. J. McCoy), 101–130, Special Publications 68, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D. C., 296 pages, ISBN: 978-1-118-79832-4.

Korotev R. L., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2008) Keeping up with the lunar meteorites – 2008. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX, abstract no. 1209, 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

Korotev R. L., Jolliff B. L., and Zeigler R. A. (2010) On the origin of the moon’s feldspathic highlands, pure anorthosite, and the feldspathic lunar meteorites. 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1440.

Zeigler R. A., Korotev R. L., and Jolliff B. J. (2012) Feldspathic lunar meteorite Graves Nunataks 06157, a magnesian piece of the lunar highlands crust. Second Conference on the Lunar Highlands Crust, abstract no. 9033.

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