Lunar Meteorite: Istifane 007

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 111

Istifane 007

South Morocco
Purchased: 2021
Mass: 512 g (many pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Many small fragments totaling 512 g were purchased by Adrián Contreras Gómez from a meteorite dealer in Ouargla, Algeria, in October 2021.

Physical Characteristics: Samples have a dark exterior. The interior shows a fine-grained brecciated texture.

Petrography: Description and classification (A. Love, App). Sample is brecciated mixture of sparse lithic clasts and fine-grained, subrounded to angular mineral clasts of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase in comminuted matrix. Lithic fragments include: anorthosite, troctolite and glassy breccias. Additional minerals are: spinel, FeNi metal, chromite, phosphates, barite and a rare silica polymorph.

Geochemistry: (A. Love, App). Olivine (Fa_26.3±3.9, Fe/Mn=85.2±4.9, n=22); low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_20.7±3.3Wo_3.9±0.6, Fe/Mn=50.2±3.9, n=9); pigeonite (Fs_24.7±3.2Wo_8.0±1.9, Fe/Mn=52.6±3.7, n=4); plagioclase (An_97.5±0.3Or_0.2±0.1, n=12).

Classification: (Lunar feldspathic breccia) Textures, mineral compositions suggest this is a lunar meteorite.

Specimens: Adrián Contreras Gómez holds the main masses. A polished thin section and 3 fragments weighing a total of 20.13 g are on deposit at App.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Istifane 007.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

Istifane 007