Lunar Meteorite: Issaouane-n-Irrararene 001

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Issaouane-n-Irrararene 001 (InI 101)

Illizi, Algeria
Find: 2021 April
Mass: 161.2 g (1 piece)

Lunar melt rock

History: Found near Edjeleh, Algeria. Purchased by Aziz Zad in April 2021 from a dealer in Ouargla, Algeria and subsequently acquired by Jay Piatek in June 2021.

Physical characteristics: A single stone (161.2 g) partially coated by fusion crust.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Very fine grained specimen (mean grainsize ~40 µm). Lozenge-shaped oikocrysts (up to ~4 mm) of highly recrystallized, polycrystaline pigeonite (exhibiting some preferred orientation of their long axes) enclose chadacrysts of polycrystalline anorthite and subordinate olivine. Smaller oikocrysts of ilmenite also enclose plagioclase chadacrysts. Additional accessory phases are high-Ti chromite, troilite and baddeleyite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_33.8-48.0, FeO/MnO = 105-121, N = 4), pigeonite (Fs_26.3-38.6Wo_7.2-13.7, FeO/MnO = 68-73, N = 4), plagioclase (An_92.5-95.8Or_0.5-0.3, N = 3).

Classification: Lunar (poikilitic mafic melt rock). This specimen has many similarities to some Apollo 16 POIK rocks.

Specimens: 22.5 g including one polished thin section at UWB; remainder with Mr. J. Piatek.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Issaouane-n-Irrararene 001. There is no mention of kamacite or taenite in the description. FeNi metal is common in Apollo mafic, poikilitic melt rocks.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Issaouane-n-Irrararene 001