Lunar Meteorite: Northwest Africa 12826

Stones of Northwest Africa 12826, alleged. The middle photo resembles Lahmada 020. Photo credit: unknown
Another NWA 12826 stone (0.61 g). Photo credit: Galaxy Gems

from The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 108

Northwest Africa 12826 (NWA 12826)

(Northwestern Africa)
Purchased: 2019
Mass: 25 g (many pieces)

Lunar Meteorite

History: The meteorite was purchased from a local meteorite dealer in Algeria.

Physical characteristics: Many brownish fragments with some fusion crust. 

Petrography: (A. Greshake, MNB) The meteorite is a feldspathic breccia composed of mineral fragments, basaltic clasts, and impact melt clasts set into a fine-grained partly shock-melted groundmass. Most abundant minerals are calcic plagioclase and pigeonite; less abundant are augite and olivine. Accessories include FeS, ilmenite, and FeNi-metal. The meteorite contains shock melt veins.

Geochemistry: olivine: Fa28.3±6.7 (Fa19.7-35.1, FeO/MnO=97±10, n=15); pigeonite: Fs30.9±6.4Wo11.2±4.9 (Fs21.9-40.1Wo6.4-18.9, FeO/MnO=57±6, n=27); Ca-pyroxene: Fs12.5±0.8Wo39.8±2.3 (Fs11.7-14.6Wo33.2-41.3, FeO/MnO=40±4, n=11); calcic plagioclase: An96.9±0.6 (An95.2-97.7, n=17).

Classification: Lunar (feldspathic breccia).

Specimens: 5 g Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany.

Randy Says…

I have not studied Northwest Africa 12826.

More Information

Meteoritical Bulletin Database

NWA 12826

Lunar Meteorites
List – ABC123 Order
List – Al2O3 Order