Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12248

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 107

Northwest Africa 12248 (NWA 12248)

Mauritania
Purchased: 2018
Mass: 37.3 g (1 piece)

Lunar Meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Found in Mauritania and purchased by Darryl Pitt in May 2018 from a Mauritanian dealer.

Physical characteristics: A small (37.3 g) dark stone lacking fusion crust but coated by a shiny desert patina. The fresh interior contains small white and beige clasts set in a dark-gray matrix.

Petrography: (A. Irving and S. Kuehner, UWS) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine, low-Ca pyroxenes, augite, ilmenite and troilite in a fine grained matrix containing Ni-poor metal and minor barite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa_44.5, FeO/MnO = 105; Fa_13.1, FeO/MnO = 54; N = 2), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs_38.2Wo_4.5, FeO/MnO = 59), pigeonite (Fs_32.0-32.5Wo_14.6-9.7, FeO/MnO = 55-62, N = 2), augite (Fs_22.4Wo_43.1, FeO/MnO = 51), anorthite (An_94.3-95.9Or_0.2, N = 2).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 9.5 g including one polished thin section at UWB; remainder with DPitt.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 12248.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12248