Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12427

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 108

Northwest Africa 12427 (NWA 12427)

northwestern Africa
Find: 2017
Mass: 3649 g (1 piece)

Lunar Meteorite (Lunar meteorite (feldspathic breccia))

History: Purchased in November 2017 in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Reportedly found in northeastern Western Sahara September 2017.

Physical characteristics: Single stone, no fusion crust; saw cut reveals a breccia with white feldspathic clasts set in a dark gray groundmass. Some of the feldspathic clasts appear to be aligned suggesting a mild deformation fabric.

Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Microprobe examination shows fragmental breccia with many anorthositic olivine gabbro clasts set in fine-grained, cataclastic groundmass. Melt veins and vesicles are present throughout.

Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) Olivine Fa_42.7±6.8, Fe/Mn=94±5, n=15; clinopyroxene Fs_31.4±6.7Wo_15.7±6.4, Fe/Mn=54±5, n=14; plagioclase An_96.9±0.2, n=6; shock melt veins (proxy for bulk composition) SiO₂=46.5±2.5, TiO₂=0.30±0.15, Cr₂O₃=0.15±0.10, Al₂O₃=27.9±6.3, MgO=5.2±3.4, FeO=5.5±3.2, MnO=0.08±0.06, CaO=15.6±2.6, Na₂O=0.27±0.07, K₂O=0.05±0.02 (all wt%), n=6.

Classification: Lunar, feldspathic breccia

Specimens: 20.2 g on deposit at UNM, DPitt holds the main mass.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 12427.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12427