Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12765

A 10.36-g slice (top) and a 16.44-g slice of Northwest Africa 12765. The images on the left appear to be of the polished side. Photo credits: Ruben Garcia.

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 108

Northwest Africa 12765 (NWA 12765)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2019 March
Mass: 15.949 kg (1 piece)

Lunar Meteorite (feldspathic breccia)

History: Purchased in March 2019 by Darryl Pitt from a Mauritanian dealer.

Petrography: (A. Irving, UWS and P. Carpenter, WUSL) Breccia composed of mineral clasts of anorthite, olivine (some of which is forsterite), low-Ca pyroxene, unexsolved pigeonite, subcalcic augite, chromite and ilmenite within a fine grained, sparsely microvesicular matrix containing minor secondary barite.

Geochemistry: Olivine (Fa1.8-77.2, FeO/MnO = 85-104, N = 4), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs28.2Wo4.0, FeO/MnO = 64), pigeonite (Fs30.2-45.1Wo11.8-11.9, FeO/MnO = 60-65, N = 2), subcalcic augite (Fs35.7Wo29.9, FeO/MnO = 59), anorthite (An96.8Or0.2)

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 20.1 g in the form of a polished endcut at UWB; remainder with DPitt.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 12765. It has a distinctive appearance in the photos.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12765

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