Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 11828

NWA 8046-clan pair?

Three of the Northwest Africa 11828 stones. Photo credit: Cometshopnew
A 39-g and a 360-g stone of NWA 11828 on ebay. These are heavily weathered stones with the rare characteristic that the feldspathic clasts have weathered preferentially to the matrix, leaving the clasts in negative relief. Photo credit: Nick Gessler
A slice of NWA 11828 on ebay. Photo credit: Nick Gessler

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 107

Northwest Africa 11828 (NWA 11828)

(Northwest Africa)
Find: 2017
Mass: 5340 g (several pieces)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Stones were acquired from a Moroccan dealer in 2017.

 Physical characteristics: A group of dark- and light-gray stones with no fusion crust.

 Petrography: S. Demidova and D. Badyukov, Vernad): The meteorites are polymict breccias containing numerous mineral fragments and large rounded lithic clasts occurring within a brownish cryptocrystalline to glassy impact-melt matrix; the lithic clast population comprises impact-melt breccias, as well as cataclastic granulitic rocks of anorthositic, noritic, gabbro-noritic and troctolitic compositions; clasts of impact-melt breccias typically show breccia-in-breccia textures; glass fragments and rare spherules are present.

Geochemistry: feldspar, An92-98; orthopyroxene, Wo­2-5En60-81; clinopyroxene; Wo5-43En33-69, olivine, Fo22-93 (FeO/MnO = 85); accessory minerals include: ilmenite (2.6-6.2 wt % MgO), Cr-rich ulvöspinel, Ti,Al-rich chromite, silica, Ca-phosphate, armalcolite, baddeleyite, troilite, and abundant FeNi metal; the stones are moderately weathered; carbonate veins and Fe hydroxides are present.

Classification: Lunar, feldspathic regolith breccia

Specimens: 23 type specimens of 662.5 g, and a thin section, Vernad, the main mass with an anonymous keeper.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 11828. It may be another pair of the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 11828

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