Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 11871

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 107

Northwest Africa 11871 (NWA 11871)

Algeria
Purchased: 2018
Mass: 21.9 g (1 piece)

Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

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

Physical characteristics: Purportedly found near Tindouf, Algeria and purchased by Joseph Hum in May 2018 from a dealer in Gladstone, Oregon, who obtained it from a Mauritanian source.

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia consisting of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, exsolved pigeonite, unexsolved pigeonite, orthopyroxene, aluminous subcalcic augite, chromite, ilmenite, troilite and kamacite in a fine grained, partly vesicular matrix.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_19.7-51.6, FeO/MnO = 92-105, N = 3), orthopyroxene host (Fs_45.7Wo_3.6, FeO/MnO = 55), clinopyroxene exsolution lamella (Fs_24.2Wo_34.6, FeO/MnO = 54), orthopyroxene (Fs_47.9Wo_3.6, FeO/MnO = 59), pigeonite (Fs_24.8Wo_10.0, FeO/MnO = 68), aluminous subcalcic augite (Fs_18.5Wo_23.9, FeO/MnO = 56, Al₂O₃ = 15.4 wt.%, Na₂O = 0.4 wt.%), plagioclase (An_94.1-96.4Or_0.3-0.1).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic regolithic breccia).

Specimens: 4.73 g including a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with Mr. J. Hum.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 11871. It may be another stone of the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 11871