Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12270

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 107

Northwest Africa 12270 (NWA 12270)

Mauritania
Purchased: 2018
Mass: 1300 g (6 pieces)

Lunar Meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased by Terry Boudreaux from a meteorite dealer in Mauritania.

Physical characteristics: Six identically appearing pieces, no fusion crust, saw cut reveals a fragmental breccia with numerous white feldspathic clasts set in a dark gray ground mass.

Petrography: C. Agee, UNM) This meteorite consists of primarily of fragmental pyroxene, olivine, feldspathic clasts and shock melt. Ubiquitous Ti-rich chromite and ilmenite present, rare Fe-Ni metal detected.

Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) olivine Fa_42.7±7.3, Fe/Mn=94±9, n=14; pigeonite Fs_37.0±8.0Wo_17.9±6.9­, Fe/Mn=56±5, n=13; plagioclase An­_96.6±0.4, n=6; Shock melt (20 μm defocused electron beam, proxy for bulk meteorite composition): SiO₂=44.8±1.3, TiO₂=0.31±0.08, Al₂O₃=26.0±3.9, Cr₂O₃=0.15±0.09, MgO=5.0±2.2, FeO=5.9±1.7, MnO=0.08±0.03, CaO=16.1±1.8, NiO=0.02±0.01, Na₂O=0.44±0.07, K₂O=0.08±0.01 (all wt%), n=7.

Classification: Lunar feldspathic breccia

Specimens: 29.2 g including a probe mount on deposit at UNM, Terry Boudreaux holds the main mass.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 12270. It may be another pair of the NWA 8046 clan.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12270