Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 8055

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 103

Northwest Africa 8055 (NWA 8055)

(Northwest Africa)
Purchased: 2013 September
Mass: 98 g (1 piece)

Classification: Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purportedly found near Boujdour and purchased in Agadir, Morocco, by Adam Aaronson in September 2013.

Physical characteristics: A single stone (98 g) broken into three pieces that fit together. Small white clasts are visible in a dark gray matrix.

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia consisting of numerous mineral fragments and rare ophitic-textured, basalt clasts in a finer grained matrix. Minerals are anorthite, olivine, unexsolved pigeonite, subcalcic augite, augite, exsolved pigeonite, ilmenite, Ti-rich chromite, troilite, and rare kamacite and barite. Sparse clasts composed of intergrown fayalite+hedenbergite+silica polymorph are present.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_19.8-38.8, FeO/MnO = 86-105), pigeonite (Fs_47.0Wo_19.6, FeO/MnO = 59), subcalcic augite (Fs_39.9Wo_33.2, FeO/MnO = 58), augite (Fs_52.0Wo_41.9, FeO/MnO = 74).

Bulk composition: (R. Korotev, WUSL) INAA of subsamples gave (in wt.%) FeO 5.9, Na₂O 0.42, and (in ppm) Sc 14.8, La 1.9, Sm 0.98, Eu 0.93, Yb 1.0, Th 0.2.

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic fragmental breccia).

Specimens: 19.6 g (including a polished end-cut specimen and a polished mount) are at UWB. The remainder is held by Aaronson.

Randy Says…

Northwest Africa 8055 is a moderately mafic feldspathic lunar meteorite with low concentrations of incompatible elements.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 8055

References

Korotev R. L. and Irving A. J. (2021) Lunar meteorites from northern Africa. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 206–240. 

Korotev R. L., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2012) Keeping up with the lunar meteorites – 2012. 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1152.